Harcourt kils his brother Vimory and then marries his widdow Masserina Tivoly is hanged for a robbery and at his execution accuseth Masserina for hiring him to poyson La Precoverte for the which shee is likewise hanged Noel who was Harcourts man on his death-bed suspecteth and accuseth his said Master for killing of his brother Vimory whereof Harcourt being found guilty he is broken alive on a wheele for the same History XVIII Romeo the Laquay of Borlary kils Radegonda the Chamber-mâ—…id of the Lady Fellisanna in the street and is hanged for the same Borlary afterwards hireth Castruchio an Apothecary to poyson her husband Seignior Planeze for the which Castruchio is hanged and his body throwne into the River and Borlari is beheaded and then burnt History XIX Beaumarays and his brother Montaigne kill Champigny and Marin his second in a Duell Blancheville the widdow of Champigni in revenge thereof hireth Le Valley who was servant to Beaumarays to murther his said Master with a pistoll the which he doth for the which Le Valley is broken on a wheele and Blancheville hanged for the same History XX. Lorenzo murthereth his wife Fermia He some twenty yeares after as altogether unknowne robbeth his and her sonne Thomaso who likewise not knowing Lorenzo to be his father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him for that robbery for the which he is hanged GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XVI Idiaques causeth his sonne Don Ivan to marry Marsillia and then commits Adultery and Incest with her She makes her Father in Law Idiaques to poyson his owne old wife Honoria and likewise makes her owne brother De Perez to kill her Chamber-maid Mathurina Don Ivan afterwards kils De Perez in a Duell Marsillia hath her braines dasht out by a horse and her body is afterwards condemned to be burnt Idiaques is beheaded his body likewise consumed to ashes and throwne into the ayre LEt Malice be never so secretly contrived and the shedding of Innocent bloud never so wretchedly perpetrated yet as our Conscience is to us a thousand witnesses so God is to us a thousand Consciences first to bring it to light and then their Authours to deserved punishments for the same when they least dreame or thinke thereof For as there is no peace to the wicked so they shall finde no peace or tranquility here on Earth either with God or his creatures because if they would conceale it yet the very Fowles of the ayre yea the stones and timbers of their chambers will detect it For the Earth or Ayre will give them no breath nor being but they shall hang betweene both because by these their foule and deplorable facts they have made themselves unworthy of either A powerfull example and a pitifull precedent whereof we shall behold in this ensuing History where some wretched miscreants and gracelesse creatures making themselves guilty of those bloudy crimes by the immediate Revenge and Justice of God received exemplary and condigne punishments for the same May we reade it to Gods glory to the comfort of our hearts and the instruction of our soules IN the City of Santarem which by tract of time and corruption of speech some tearme Saint Aren and which after Lisbon is one of the richest and best peopled of Portugall there dwelt a Gentleman of some fifty five yeares old nobly descended and of a great estate and meanes named Don Sebastian Idiaques whose wife and Lady being aged of well neere fifty yeares was termed Dona Honoria and well she deserved that honourable name for all sorts of Vertues and honours made her youth famous and her age glorious to all Portugall and Spaine They had lived together in the bonds of Matrimony almost thirty yeares with much Honour content and felicity and for the fruits of their affection and mariage they had two sonnes and foure daughters but God in his pleasure and Providence for some reserved reasons best knowne to his All Divine Majesty tooke from Earth to Heaven all their daughters and one of their sonnes so as now they have left them but one sonne named Don Ivan a gallant young Gentleman of some twenty five yeares old of disposition brave and generous who after his first youthfull education under his father had his chiefe breeding under the Duke of Braganza to whom he was first a Page and then a chiefe Gentleman retaining to him whom in regard of the death of his brother and sisters his father called home unto him to be his comfort and consolation and the prop and stay of his age as also of the Lady his mother who had formerly acted a great part in griefe and a mournfull one in sorrow for the death of her children and indeed Don Ivan this sonne of theirs for all regards of Courtship was held to be a compleat Gallant and one of the prime Cavalliers of Portugall As for Idiaques the father though in all the course and progresse of his life and in all the life and conduction of his actions he bewrayed many morall and generous vertues yet as one discordant string marres the harmony of the best tuned Instrument and the concent of the sweetest melody and musicke and as one foule Vice is naturally subject and fatally incident to ecclipse and drowne many rich and faire vertues so in this his old age when time had honoured him with white haires he deboshed himselfe so much and so sottishly sacrificed his irregular affections to heart-killing concupiscence and his exorbitant desires to soule-destroying adultery that hee very often made himselfe a false and inconstant husband to his wife and a true yea too true a friend to Curtisans and Strumpets His vertuous Lady Honoria extreamly grieves hereat that now in his later years he should thus lasciviously forget himselfe both towards her and towards God She useth all sweet perswasions prayers and teares to diswade and divert him from it but seeing that all proves vaine and that he rather prooves worse then better thereat her discretion makes her brooke it with as much patience as she can and therefore she seemes not to see or know that whereof to her griefe and discontent she cannot be ignorant But here comes an accident which will breed both of them and their Sonne Don Ivan misery of all sides Some six leagues from Santarem was a wonderfull faire young Gentlewoman being a widdow aged but of Twenty two yeares named Dona Marsillia well desended but by her late deceased Husband left but small meanes yet she beares out her port bravely and maintaines her selfe highly and gallantly and indeed shee is the prime young Lady for beauty in all those parts Now the base Ambassadors and Emysaries of Idiaques his beastly and obscaene lust the true Vipers and Cankers of Common weales give him notice of her and of her singular beauty as well foreseeing and knowing that it would bee sweet and pleasing newes unto him He visits and courts her but as young as she is she puts him
cause thereof So for these their bloody crimes he is hanged and she burnt alive pag. 237. HIST. XIV Fidelia and Caelestina cause Carpi and Monteleone with their two Lackies Lorenzo and Anselmo to murther their father Captaine Benevente which they performe Monteleone and his Lackie Anselmo are drowned Fidella hangs her selfe Lorenzo is hanged for a robbery and on the Gallowes confesseth the murthering of Benevente Carpi hath his right hand then his head cut off Caelestina is beheaded and her body burnt HIST. XV. Maurice like a bloody villaine and damnable sonne throwes his Mother Christina into a Well and drownes her the same hand and arme of his wherewith he did it rots away from his body and being discrazed of his wiâ—…s in prison hee there confâ—…h this foule and inhumane murther for the which he is hanged pag. 277. The Contents of the fourth Booke HIST. XVI Idiaques causeth his sonne Don Ivan to marry Marsillia and then commits Adultery and Incest with her She makes her Father in Law Idiaques to poyson his old wife Honoria and likewise makes her owne Brother De Perez to kill her Chamber-maid Mathurina Don Ivan afterwards kils De Perez in a Duell Marsillia hath her braines dasht out by a horse and her body is afterwards condemned to be burnt Idiaques is beheaded his body consumed to ashes and throwne into the ayre pag. 303. HIST. XVII Harcourt steales away his brother Vimoryes wife Masserina and keepes her in Adultery She hireth Tivoly an Italian Mountebanke to poyson La Precoverte who was Harcourts wife Harcourt kils his brother Vâ—…mory and then marries his widdow Masserina Tivoly is hanged for a robbery and at his execution accuseth Masserina for hiring him to poysâ—…n La Precoverte for the which she is likewise hanged Noel who was Harcourts man on his death-bed suspecteth and accuseth his said Master for killing of his brother Vimory whereof Harcourt being found guilty hee is broken alive on a wheele for the same pag. 325. HIST. XVIII Romeo the Laquay of Borlary kils Radegonda the Chamber maid of the Lady Fellisanna in the street and is hanged for the same Borlary afterwards hireth Castruchio an Apothecary to poyson her Husband Seignior Planeze for the which Castruchio is hanged and his body throwne into the River and Borlary is beheaded and then burnt pag. 339. HIST. XIX Beaumarays and his brother Montaigne kill Champigny and Marin his second in a Duell Blancheville the widdow of Champigni in revenge thereof hireth Le Valley who was servant to Beaumarays to murther his said Master with a Pistoll the which he doth for the which Le Valley is broken on a wheele and Blancheville hanged for the same pag. 377. HIST. XX. Lorenzo murthereth his wife Fermia He some twenty yeares after as altogether unknowne robbeth his and her sonne Thomaso who likewise not knowing Lorenzo to be his father doth accuse him for that robbery for the which he is hanged pag. 395 The Contents of the fifth Booke HISTORIE XXI Babtistyna and Amarantha poyson their Eldest Sister Iaquinta after which Amarantha causeth her servants Bernardo and Pierya to stifle her elder Sister Babtistyna in her Bed Bernardo flying away breakes his necke with a fall off his Horse Pierya is hanged for the same so likewise is Amarantha and her body after burnt Bernardo being buried his body is againe taken up and hanged to the Gallowes by his feete then burnt and his ashes throwne into the River pag. 427. HIST. XXII Martino poysoneth his Brother Pedro and murthereth Monfredo in the street He afterwards growes mad and in confession reveales both these his murthers to Father Thomas his Ghostly Father who afterwards dying reveales it by his Letter to Cecilliana who was Widdow to Monfredo and Sister to Pedro and Martino Martino hath first his right hand cut off and then is hanged for the same pag. 449. HIST. XXIII Alphonso poysoneth his owne Mother Sophia and after shoots and kils Cassino as hee was walking in his Garden with a short Musket or Carabyne from a Window Hee is beheaded for those two murthers then burnt and his ashes throwne into the River pag. 473. HIST. XXIV Pont Chausey kils La Roche in a Duell Quatbrisson causeth Moncallier an Apothecary to poyson his owne Brother Valfontaine Moncallier after fals and breaks his necke from a paire of staires Quatbrisson likewise causeth his Fathers Miller to murther and strangle Marieta in her Bed and to throw her body into his Mill-Pond Pierot the Miller is broken alive on a wheele and Quatbrisson first beheaded then burnt for the same pag. 487. HIST. XXV Vasti first murthereth his Sonne George and next poysoneth his owne Wife Hester and being afterwards almost killed by a mad Bull in the Fields hee revealeth these his two murthers for the which he is first hanged and then burnt pag. 513. The Contents of the sixth Booke HIST. XXVI Imperia for the love shee beares to young Morosini seduceth and causeth him with his two Consorts Astonicus and Donato to stifle to death her old Husband Palmerius in his bed Morosini misfortunately letting fall his gloves in Palmerius his Chamber that night which hee did it they are found by Richardo the Nephew of Palmerius who knowes them to be Morosinies and doth thereupon accuse him and his Aunt Imperia for the murther of his Vncle So they together with their accessaries Astonicus and Donato are all foure of them apprehended and hanged for the same pag. 337. HIST. XXVII Father Iustinian a Priest and Adrian an Inne keeper poyson De Laurier who was lodged in his house and then bury him in his Orchard where a moneth after a Wolfe digges him up and devours a great part of his body which Father Iustinian and Adrian understanding they fly upon the same but are afterwards both of them apprehended and hanged for it pag. 369. HIST. XXVIII Hippolito murthereth Garcia in the street by night for the which he is hanged Dominica and her Chamber-maid Denisa poysoneth her Husband Roderigo Denisa afterwards strangleth her owne new borne Babe and throwes it into a Pond for the which she is hanged on the ladder she confessed that shee was accessary with her Lady Dominica in the poysoning of her Husband Roderigo for the which Dominica is apprehended and likewise hanged pag. 389. HIST. XXIX Sanctifiore upon promise of marriage gets Vrsina with child and then afterwards very ingratefully and treacherously rejecteth her and marries Bertranna Vrsina being sensible of this her disgrace disguiseth her selfe in a Friers habit and with a case of Pistols kils Sanctifiore as hee is walking in the fields for the which shee is hanged pag. 409. HIST. XXX De Mora treacherously kils Palura in a Duell with two Pistols His Lady Bellinda with the aid of her Gentleman Vsher Ferallo poysoneth her Husband De Mora and afterwards shee marrieth and murthereth her said Husband Ferallo in his bed so she iâ—… burnt alive for this her last murther and her ashes thrown into
the ayre for the first pag. 437. THE TRIVMPHS OF GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRABLE sinne of Murther HISTORIE I. Hautefelia causeth La Fresnay an Apothecary to poyson her brother Grand Pre and his wife Mermanda and is likewise the cause that her said brother kils de Malleray her owne husband in a Duell La Fresnay condemned to bee hanged for a rape on the ladder confesseth his two former Murthers and sayes that Hautefelia seduced and hired him to performe them Hautefelia is likewise apprehended and so for the cruell Murthers they are both put to severe and cruell deaths IF our contemplation dive into elder times and our curiositie turne over the varietie of ancient and moderne Histories as well Divine as Humane wee shall find that Ambition Revenge and Murther have ever prooved fatall crimes to their undertakers for they are vices which so eclipse our judgements and darken our understandings as we shall not only see with griefe but find wâ—…h repentance that they will bring us shame for glory affliction for content and misery for felicity Now as they are powerfull in men so they are soâ—…etimes implacable in women who with as much vanity as malice delight in these sinnes as if that could adde grace to their bodies that deformes their soules or lustre and prosperity to their dayes that makes shipwracke both of their fortunes and lives It is with griefe and pity yea not with passion but compassion that I instance this in a Gentlewoman who was borne to honour and not to shame had not these three aforesaid vices like so many infernall furies laine her glory in the dust and dragged her body to an untimely and infamous grave It is a History that hath many sorrowfull dependances and which produceth variety of diasasterous and mournefull accidents wherein by the just judgement of God wee shall see Ambition bitterly scourged Revenge sharpely rewarded and Murther severely punished by whose example if all that professe Religion become lesse impious and more truely religious wee shall then lead the whole course of our lives in such peacefull and happy tranquility as arming our selves with resolution to live and die in the favour of Heaven wee need not feare either what earth or hell can doe unto us The History is thus NEere Auxone a strong and ancient Towne upon the frontiers of Burgundy and the free County dwelt an aged grave Gentleman nobly descended and of very faire demaynes named Monsieur de Grandmont who had to his wife a vertuous Lady termed Madammoyselle de Carnye the onely daughter of Monsieur de Buserat a worthy Gentleman of the Citie of Dole this married couple for a long time lived in the greatest height of content that either Earth could afford or their hearts desire for as one way they grew opulent in lands and wealth so another way they were indewed with three hopefull Sonnes Grand Pre Vileneufe and Masseron and with two daughters Madamoyselles de Hautefelia and de Cressye a faire posterity they blest in their Parents and their Parents hoping themselves blest in them so as to the eye of the world this one family promised to make many especially sith the youngest of the five had already attained its tenth yeare but God in his providence ordayned the contrary Grand Pre as the first and chiefest pillar of the house craves leave of his Father that he might serve his apprentiship in the warres under the command of that incomparable Captaine Grave Maurice then Earle of Nassaw since Prince of Orenge Vileneufe delighting in bookes his Father thought fit to send to Pont-au Mousson and thinking to retaine Masseron with him he for his beauty was begg'd a Page by that valorous Marshall of France who so wilfully and unfortunately lost his head in the Bastile of Paris As for their two daughters Hautefelia lived with her Parents and de Cressye they presented to a great Lady of Burgundy who was long since the most afflicted and sorrowfull Wife and Mother to the Barons of Lux Father and Sonne who were both slaine by that generous and brave Lorayne Prince the Knight of Guyse But behold the inconstancie of fortune or rather the power and pleasure of heaven which can soone metamorphose our mirth into mourning our joyes into teares and our hopes into despaire for within the compasse of one whole yeare wee shall see three of these five Children laid in their graves and of three severall deaths for Vileneufe was drowned at Pont-au Mousson as hee bathed himselfe in the River Masseron was killed in a Duell at Fontaine bleau by Rossat a Gascon being Page to the Duke of Espernon and Hautefelia dyed at home of a burning Feaver with her Parents a triple losse which doth not onely afflict their hearts and soules but also seemes to drowne their eyes with a deluge of mournefull and sorrowfull teares Grandmont and de Carny his Wife being thus made unfortunate and wretched by the death of three of their Children they resolve to call home their other two to bee comforts and props to their old age but their hopes may deceive them First from the Baronesse of Lux comes de Cressye who succeeding her sister we must now terme by the name or rather by the title of Hautefelia who hath a great and bloody part to act upon the Theater of this History and after her very shortly comes Grand Pre from Holland where in divers services hee left many honourable and memorable markes of his prowesse and valour behind him Vpon his arrivall to his Fathers house the flowre of all the nobility and gentry of the Country come to condole with him for the death of his brothers and sister as also to congratulate his happy returne an office and complement which expresseth much affection and civility they find Grand Pre a brave compleate Gentleman not in outward pride but in inward generositie and vertue not in the vanity of fashions and apparell but in the perfections and endowments of his mind and body he is wholy addicted to the exercise of warre and not to the art of courting of Ladies his delights are in the campe of Mars and Bellona and not in the Palace of Venus and Cupid well knowing that the one will breed him honour and glory the other shame and repentance his pastimes are not crisping and powdering of his haire quarrelling his taylor for the fashion of his clothes dancing in velvet pumps and tracing the street in a neat perfumed Boote with jangling Spurres yea hee resembleth not young spruce Courtiers who thinke no heaven to brave Apparell nor Paradise to that of their Mistresse beauty for hee onely practiseth riding of great Horses Tilting running at Ring displaying the Colours tossing the Pike handling the Musket ordering of Ranke and File thereby to make himselfe capable to conduct and embattaile an Army and to environ fortifie or besiege a City or Castle or the like yea hee spurnes at the Lute and Viall and
vowes there is no musicke to the rattling of the Drumme and Trumpet and to the thundring of the Musket and Canon but this warlike and martiall humour of his shall not last long Wherin wee may observe the vanity of our thoughts the inconstancy of our delights and the alteration and mutability of our resolutions for now we shal shortly see Grand Pre hate that he loved love that he hated yea we shall see him so plunge and drown himselfe in the beauty of a faire sweet Gentlewoman as he shall leave Holland for Burgundy Warre for peace Armes for Love and Enemies for a Mistris but time must worke this alteration and Metamorphosis The old Gentleman his father seeing Grand Pre's martiall disposition feares lest this ambitious and generous humour of his will induce him to seeke warres abroad sith he findes none at home and therefore desirous of his company and presence in that it will sweeten his former afflictions and give life to his future hopes and content he proffers him the choice of many rich and faire young Gentlewomen for his wife of the best and most ancient families in and neare Auxone but Grand Pre is deafe to these requests and motions thinkes it a disparagement and blemish to his valour if hee should any way listen or give eare thereto the which his father perceiving and understanding he bethinkes himselfe of a further invention and so resolves at Winter to leave the Countrey and to reside in the City of Dijon famous for the ancient seate of the Dukes of Burgundie and for the present Court of Parliament hoping that there amongst the multitude of sweet Ladies Gentlewomen wherwith that City is adorned his sonne Grand Pre might at last espye some Paragon of Nature whose beauty might have power to subdue and captivate his affections and indeed as the sequell will shew the event answereth his expectation For on a Sunday morning in Lent as Grand Pre went to the royall Chappell to heare Father Iustinian a Capuchin Fryer preach he opposite to him espies a most delicat and beautiful yong Lady slender of body tall of stature fair of taynt complexion having a quick gracious eye with pure and delicate haire of a flaxen colour being infinitely rich in Apparell yet farre richer in the perfections and excellencies of a true and perfit beauty in a word she was so amiable and so lovely so sweet and so pleasing to his eyes as at her very first sight Grand Pre could not refraine from blushing as being ravished with the sweetnesse of so sweet an object so as his heart panted and beat within him as being not accustomed to encounter with such beauties or with such sudden passions and alterations Now by this time this young gentlewoman whose name we shall anon know could not but perceive with what earnestnesse and delight Grand Pre beheld her and seeing him to be a proper young Gallant and richly apparelled and followed shee could not refraine from dying her Lilly cheekes with a Vermillian blush which gave such grace to her beauty and so inflamed our poore Grand Pre as he could no longer resist the influence of such amorous assaults and now it is that his thoughts strike sayle to affection and his heart doth homage to beauty so as he revokes his former opinion conceiv'd against the power and dignity of Love which he now holds erronious and in his heart vowes that there is no such felicity in the world as to enjoy the Lady of his desires whom his eyes and soule chiefely honour and adore But if he be insnared and imprisoned in the fetters of her beauty no lesse is she in those of his personage only she is more coy and precise in the exterior demonstration there of for as hee cannot keepe his eyes from gazing on her so shee seemes but to looke on him by stealth or if she transgresse that Decorum she immediately in outward apparance checks her eyes from ranging beyond the lists of modesty and discretion But by this time to the griefe of our new Lovers the Sermon is ended and all prepare to depart so their eyes with much discontent and unwillingnesse for that time take leave each of other and here Grand Pre making a turne or two in the Church is doubly tormented and perplexed first with griefe that he is deprived of his Mistris sight and then with sorrow that hee neither knowes her nor her name But as Love refines our wits and gives an edge to our intentions so he shewes her to his Page and sends him to make secret enquiry what shee is His Page speedily returnes and informes him that she is Madamoyselle Mermanda eldest daughter to Mounsieur de Cressonuille one of the chiefest Presidents of tthe Court of Parliament Grand Pre extreamely rejoyceth to know what she was and farre the more in respect hee sees it no disparagement either to himselfe or his house to marry her and therefore omitting all other designes and resolutions and bidding farewell to the Warres he resolves to seeke her in marriage to which end the next day hee of set purpose with a Gentleman or two of his â—…mate and familiar friends insinuates himselfe into her Fathers house who being absent whiles they entertaine the Mother hee under colour of other conference courts the Daughter yea now his affection to her is by many degrees redoubled because he sees the excellency of her minde is answerable to that of her person and now shee comming likewise to know him is as it were wrapt up in the contemplation of a thousand sweete contents which so worke on her affection or rather on her heart as if he thinkes himselfe happy in seeking such a Mistresse she esteemes her selfe blest in finding such a servant Grand Pre findes his first entertainment from Mermanda to bee respective and pleasing and so authorized by her curtesy and advice he taking time at advantage goes to the old President her father and bewrayes him his affection to his daughter and the desire he hath to obtaine her for his wife so having begunne his suit he leaves his father Grandmont to finish it and continually frequents the companion of his beautifull Mistresse Mermanda Her father Cressonville dislikes not this match but deemes it both agreeable and honourable onely hee knowes that Grandmont hath likewise one only daughter and himselfe one onely sonne so he infinitely desires to make this a double match thereby to contract a more firme and stricter league betwixt their two houses this is proposed and debated as well betweene the young folkes as the old Parents and at last it takes effect so as purposely omitting first the conference then the letters sent from Grand Pre to Mermanda and from Mermanda to Grand Pre from De Malleray Cressonvilles sonne to Hautefelia and from Hautefelia to De Malleray because the inserting thereof would make this briefe History swell into an ample volume These Marriages to
Iosselina how happy hadst thou beene if thou hadst had as much wit and chastity as beauty or rather more chastity and lesse beauty But it is now too late to remedy it though never to repent it Iosselina knowing Villepont to be but seven leagues from Durency the Parish where she was borne is irresolute whether to stay here or to goe thither Want of meanes perswades her to the first but knowing that Mortaigne's love was turned to hatred and that it was dangerous for her to bee neere his incensed mother shee resolves to stay in Villepont and to write to her kinsfolkes and friends to assiâ—…t her in this her misery and necessity In the meane time shee is inforced to content her selfe with a poore little out-chamber where there is neither chimney nor window but onely a small loope whereinto the Sunne scarce ever entred and yet shee is extreamely well contented and glad hereof But wealth findes many friends and poverty none and yet sith diversity of fortunes is the true touchstone of friendship wee may therefore more properly and truly terme those our friends who assist us in our necessity and not who seeme to pleasure us in our prosperity for those are reall friends but these verball those will performe more then they promise and these promise much and performe nothing But Iosselina is so wretched and unfortunate as shee findes neither the one nor the other to assist her in this her misery yea so farre shee is to receive either meanes or promises as nothing is sent her nor none will see her so as miserable necessity inforceth her to report and divulge the misfortune of her fortune and to complain to all the world of Mortaigne's treachery and of his Mother Calintha's cruelty yea she threatens to send him his sonne sith he will not afford her wherewith to maintaine it This is not so secretly carryed in Villepont but De Vassye and Varina his daughter have newes hereof in La Palisse which occasioneth her to grow cold in her affection and he in his respect to Mortaigne so as all things decline and there is little hope or appearance that this match shall goe forward Mortaigne is two cleere-sighted to be blind herein yea he presently knowes from what point of the Compasse this wind commeth and is fully possessed that Iosselina is the cause of these alterations and stormes hee is exceedingly inraged and inflamed hereat and gives such way to his passion and choller as these obstacles must be removed and he vowes to destroy both Iosselina and her sonne A bloudy resolution not beseeming either a Christian or a Gentleman for was it not enough for him to rob Iosselina of her honour and to put a rape on her chastity and vertue but hee must likewise bereave her of her life and so adde Murther to his lust Alas what a base Gentleman is this yea how farre degenerates he from true Gentility to bee so cruell to her that hath beene so kind to him But the Devill suggesteth to his thoughts and they to his heart that Varina is faire and that there is no way nor hope left to obtaine her before Iosselina and her brat bee dispatched Now if grace could not perswade him from being so cruell to Iosselina yet mee thinkes nature should have with-held him from being so inhumane to his owne sonne but his faith is so weake towards God and the devill is so strong with him that he cannot bee removed or withdrawne from his bloudy resolution onely hee altereth the manner thereof for whereas hee resolved first to destroy the Mother then the child now he will first dispatch the child then the Mother O Heavens why should earth produce so bloudy and prodigious a monster Now the better to dissemble his malice he thinkes to reclaime and pacifie Iosselina and so gives order that shee and her child be lodged in a better Inne in the same village of Villepont and signifies her that he hath gotten a Nurse and hath provided maintenance for his sonne and that shortly he will send his Lackey for him but withall that shee must keepe this very secret because hee will not have his mother Calintha acquainted therwith Iosselina rejoyceth and seemes to be revived at this pleasing newes yea shee beginnes to forget her former misery and flatters her selfe with this hope that fortune will againe smile on her So within three dayes Mortaigne sends his Lackey La Verdure to her for the babe the which with many kisses and â—…eares shee delivereth him hoping that Mortaigne his father would bee carefull of his maintenance and not so much as once dreaming or conceiving that he had any intent to murther it But she shall find the contrary for henceforth she shall never see her babe nor her babe her La Verdure the Lackey following his Masters command is not foure Leagues from Villepont before like a damnable miscreant hee strangles it and wrapping it in a Linnen cloth which hee had purposely brought with him throwes it into the River Lignon but hee shall pay deare for Murthering of this sweete and innocent babe But it is not enough for Mortaigne's divellish malice and revenge will not be quenched or satisfied till he see the Mother follow the fortune of the sonne to which end he agrees with her Oast La Palma and his aforesaid Lackey La Verdure to stifle her in her bed The which for two hundred frankes they performe and bury her in his garden shee being soundly sleeping and poore soule not so much as once dreaming of this her mournefull and lamentable end What Tigers or monsters of nature are these to commit so damnable a Murther as if there were no God in heaven to detect them nor earth nor hell to punish them But we shall see the contrary yea we shall see both the Murther and the Murtherers revealed and discovered by an extraordinary meanes wherin Gods providence and glory will most miraculously resplend and shine As soone as La Verdure and La Palma had Murthered our harmelesse Iosselina they both poast away to Durency aswell to acquaint Mortaigne herewith as also to receive their money whereof the one halfe was payed them and the other due This newes is so pleasing to him as he cheerefully layes downe his promise and so they both frollike it in the village La Verdure making no hast home to his Master Mortaigne not La Palma to his old wife Isabella In the meane time a month being past away Mortaigne hoping the way cleare and al the rubs removed that hindred him from obtaining his faire mistres Varina he procures his father De Coucye and other of his friends to ride to La Palisse hoping to finish the match betwixt La Varina and himselfe But hee and they are inforced to see themselves deceived of their hopes For De Vassy and his daughter having heard that Iosselina and her sonne were conveyed away and could no more be heard of they suspecting and fearing that which
drowne thy thoughts in the hell of concupiscence and adultery when it were farre fitter thou shouldest lift them up to heaven in the sacrifice of prayer and other pious and religious contemplations But all this will not prevaile to stop the current of his voluptuousnesse and the progression of his sensuality for without respect of his God or regard of his soule hee is resolute in his desires to make a strumpet of his Daughter in Law and to make his Sonnes wife his whore but God will deceive his hopes and prevent his villany Now the better and sooner to drawe her to his lascivious desires hee is wonderfull courteous and affable to her still walking and talking with her yea and many times kissing her whereof both her Husband and selfe are infinitely joyfull but espeally Perina because shee findes a great alteration in her fortune in that her Father in Law Castelnovo proves as courteous to her as her owne Father Arconeto is cruell But poore innocent soule and sweet and chast Lady little dost thou either dreame oâ—… thinke on his lascivious intent against thine honour and chastity Old Castelnovo wallowing in the filthinesse and burning in the fire of his new lust and losing himselfe and his thoughts in the Labyrinth of his Daughter in law Perina's beauty hee thinkes on nothing so much nay on nothing else but how to obtaine her to his lascivious will but not daring or rather fearing to acquaint her with his inordinate and beastly purpose whiles his son her husband is at home present with her he forgeth and frames a plot both unnaturall and treacherous to make him imbrace and follow the Wars in wayting on the Duke Charles Emanuel or the Prince Amadee Victor his son and heire who with their warlike troopes were resolute to expell the Duke of Feria Viceroy of Millan with his Spanish Regiments out of Vercele Casall and the other Townes of Piedmont to which end his lustful affection to Perina made him eloquent in perswading and powerfull in drawing her husband to this Martiall action so full of honour and glory adding that his honour and the service of his Prince and Countrey called him to the Field and that he should not wholly drowne himselfe in the beauty of his young Wife and the pleasures of Marriage His sonne Castelnovo not at all suspecting or dreaming what a dangerous Snake lay lurking under the greene leaves of his fathers sugered speeches and perswasions like a noble and generous Knight as he was needes no other advocate but his owne honour and Martiall disposition to imbaâ—…ke him in these Warres and although the beauty requests and teares of his young Lady were vehement sollicitours to divert him yet hee is resolute to leave her for three or foure moneths And so making ready his armes traine horses and preparatives hee giving her many kisses and shee returning him a world of sighes and teares leaves Nice and so findes out the Duke and his Army in Piedmont where for a little time we will leave him It is a question very disputable and which by my weake capacity and judgemt cannot well bee decided whether this departure of young Custelnovo to the Warres made his father more glad or his wife sorrowfull for as shee was all in teares so was hee in mirth and jollity being so vaine in his lust and sâ—… lustfull in his vanity as 〈◊〉 trimmes up his beard and goes nearer and withall more youthfull in his apparell then accustomed yea his lust had so metamorphosed him as if it had a prophane influence and secret power to renew old age in him But alas alas what perfection of chastity can wee expect or hope for in youth when wee see no better signes and frâ—…s in one of threescore and eight yeares But I will follow the streame of our History though indeed the relation of this old lascivious Lechers Lust and Vanity to his daughter in law Perina equally afflict me with griefe and pitty to publish it I am then constrained to write and averre that although meere shame and unnaturalnesse doe as yet with-hold this wretched fathers tongue from vomiting foorth his adulterated lust to his faire and chast daughter in law Perina yet his lust is so immodestly lascivious as hee cannot keepe himselfe out of her company nor being in it refraine from kissing her but to see the innocencie and observe the purity of her thoughts shee neverthelesse not so much as any way suspects or dreames of his lascivious intent although indeed shee thinkes this courtesie of his somewhat exceeds the priviledge of a Father and the duety of a Daughter but measuring this by the cruelty of her owne Father shee poore silly soule thinkes her selfe in this respect now as happy as heretofore shee was miserable Onely the absence of her deare husband Castelnovo doth both torture and torment her and the more for that hee is in the Field at Warres when God knoweth shee desireth and wisheth hee should bee at home with her in peace But whiles Perina lookes from Savoy to Piedmont from Nice to Vercelli and from her selfe to her Lord and Husband her other selfe wee must not forget because oâ—… History will remember her Mother in law Fidelia which now wee must admit and re-conduct to act her part upon the Theatre hereof who observing her Husbands immodest and unwise familiarity demonstrated to the young Lady Perina her sonneâ—… Wife as also his alteration in humours and apparell but chiefely his unaccustomeâ—… distraction and sighes in his rest and repose shee more out of vertuous wisedome then foolish jealousie ay mes at his vaine lust towards this young Lady her Daughter in law whereat shee both admires with griefe and wonders with the anxiety of affliction and sorrow to see her old Husband in the winter of his age so soâ—…ish and beastly to lust after his owne sonnes young Wife to see that no respect of heaven no regard of conscience nor apprehension of damnation and hell had the grace or power either to kill these lascivious thoughts in their conception or to â—…rangle them in their birth to fee that hee who was ready to goe to his bed of death should now like the Salamander in the fire bee burning with desire to goe to that of Lust and Adultery and to see him fo devoyde of piety as he must needs joyne Incest with Adultery as if one of these beastly sinnes alone were not enough enormous and prodigious to make his life miserable and his death wretched And although she have cause enough of sorrow in her selfe yet when shee thinkes of her Husbands age and Daughters youth of his lust and her chastity and which is more of the most degenerate and unnaturall part of a Father to seeke to pollute and defile his owne Sonnes bed and consequently his owne honour This indeede goes neere her and this and onely this makes her looke on him both with envie and pitty but her age having taught her to love
discretion and to hate and disdaine jealousic she beares this as patiently as shee may till at last seeking and finding out a fit opportunity shee both with teares in her eyes and griefe in her speeches very secretly checks him for these his inordinate and lascivious desires towards the young Lady Perina their Daughter in law But as it is the nature of sinne so to betray and inveagle our judgements that wee flatter our selves with a false conceit none can perceive it in us so this old lecher her Husband thinking that hee had danced in a net from the jealousie and suspicion of all the world in thus affecting his Sonnes wife hee like a lewd and wretched old varlet is so farre from rellishing these his old wifes speeches and exhortations or from being reclaymed thereby as hee disdayneth both them and her and from henceforth is so imperious and withall bitter to her as hee never lookes on her with affection but envie which neverthelesse she as a modest wife and grave Matrone holds it a part not onely of her love but of her duety by sweete speeches and soft meanes of perswasion to divert him from this fond and lascivious humour of his But observe the vanity of his lasciviousnesse and the impiety of his thoughts and resolutions for all her prayers and perswasions serve only rather to set then rebate the edge of his lust and rather bring oyle to increase then water to quench the flame of his immodest and irregular affection so as seeing that she stood in the way of obtayning his beastly pleasures he like a prophane and barbarous Husband termes her no more his wife but his Medea and which is worse hee out of the heat both of his lust and choller vowes he will soone remove her from this world to another And here the devill ambitious and desirous of nothing so much as to fill up the emyty roomes of his vast and infernall kingdome by miserable and execrable degrees takes possession first of his thoughts then of his heart and lastly of his soule so as being constant in his indignation and choller and resolute in this his impious and bloudy revenge hee meanes to dispatch and murther her who for the terme of forty two yeares had beene his most loving wife and faithfull bed-fellow but withall hee will act it so privately as not having as yet discovered his affection to his daughter Perina hee will therefore conceale both from her and all the world the Murther of this his wife Fidelia except only to those gracelesse and execrable Agents he meant imploy in this mournefull and bloudy businesse To which end with a hellish ratiocination ruminating and revolving on the manner thereof hee having runne over the circumstances of many violent and tragicall deaths at last resolves to poyson her and deemes none so fit to undertake it as her owne Wayting-gentlewoman Ierantha the which authorized by his former lascivious dalliance with her as also in favour of five hundred Ducats that he will give her hee is confident shee will undertake and finish neither doth hee faile in his bloudy hopes For what with the honey of his flattering speches and the sugar of his Gold she like an infernall Fury and a very Monster of her sexe most ingratefully and inhumanely consents thereunto so as putting poyson into Whitebroth which some mornings she was accustomed to make and give her Lady it spreading into her veines and exhaling the radicall humour of her life and strength within eight dayes carries this aged and vertuous Matrone to her Grave and her soule to Heaven But her Murtherers shall pay deare for this her untimely end The Lady Perina and all the Lady Fidelia's kinsfolkes and friends infinitely lament and bewayle her death and indeed so doth the whole City of Nice where for her descent and vertues shee is infinitely beloved and affected but all these teares of theirs are nothing in comparison of those of her wicked and execrable Husband Castelnovo who although he inwardly rejoyce yet he outwardly seemes to bee exceedingly afflicted and dejected But as hee hath heretofore acted the part of a Murtherer and now of an hypocrite yet have we but a little patience and we shall see that detected this unmasked and both panished Whiles this mournefull Tragedy is acted in Nice the mediation of the French King and Pope reconcile the differences give end to the Warres and conclude peace betwixt Spaine and Savoy So home returnes the Duke of Feria to Millan the noble Duke of Savoy and the generous Princes his Sonnes to Turin the Marshall de Desdiguieres and the Baron of Termes into France and consequently home comes our Knight Castelnovo to Nice where thinking to rejoyce with his young wife hee is so unfortunate to mourne for the death of his old mother but God knowes that neither of them know the least sparke or shadow of her cruell and untimely Murther and lesse the cause thereof Now for his lascivious and bloudy father albeit to cast a vaile before his thoughts and his intents and actions hee publikely mournes for his wifes death and rejoyceth for his Sonnes returne yet contrariwise hee privately mournes for this and rejoyceth for that But to leave the remembrance of Fidelia to assume that of our Perina I know not whether shee grieved more at her Husbands absence or rejoyce at his presence sith her affection to him was so tender and fervent as in her heart and soule shee esteemed that as much her hell as this her heaven upon earth but these joyes of hers are but fires of straw or flattering Sun-shines which are suddenly either washed away with a showre or eclipsed and banished by a Tempest for whiles her hopes flatter her beliefe of her Husbands continuall stay and residence with her her Father in lawes lust to her foreseeing and considering that it was impossible to thinke to obtaine her at home e're her Husband his Sonne were againe imployed and sent abroad makes all his thoughts aime and care and industry tend that way as if time had no power to make him repent the former murther of his wife or Grace influence to renounce the future defiling and dishonouring of his Daughter in law But hee is as constant in his lust to her as resolute in his dispatching and sending away of him onely hee must finde out some pregnant vertuous and honourable pretext and colour for the effecting of his designe and resolution because he well knowes his Sonne Castelnovo is as wise and generous in himselfe as amorous of his beautifull young Lady Perina but his lust which is the cause of his resolution or rather his vanity which is the authour of his lust at one time suggests him these two severall imployments for his Sonne either to send him into France with the Prince Major who was larely contracted and shortly to espouse MadameChristiene the Kings second Sister or else under the insinuation of some great Pensions and Offices that were shortly to
and constantly avoid it in our selves THe foundation of this History is layd in the faire and famous City of Verona anciently a great Colony of the Romans since a free estate of it selfe but now dependant and subject to the Estate and Seignory of Venice wherein their lately dwelt an old Gentleman being a widdower and one of the chiefest and noblest families of that City named Seignior Fabritius Miniata who was rich in lands but exceeding wealthy in money whereof he had put a great and remarkeable Sum in the bank of Venice he had one only Childe a daughter of some eighteene yeares of age named Dona Felisanna who was wonderfull faire and a most lovely sweet Creature tall and slender of stature of yellow golden haire and sanguine damaske Rose Complexion Now as her beautie was every way answerable to her birth and extraction no lesse were her singular vertues and sweet perfections to her beautie and as wealth beautie and vertue concurring and meeting together are three powerful lures and attractiue Adamants to draw the desires and affections of many Noble gentlemen to seeke her in mariage So two of her chiefe Suitors and who cheifly flattered their hopes to enioy this sweet and pretious Jewell of nature and who stood in best possibility to beare away her affection and her selfe was Seignior Thomas Planeze a brave young gentleman of the neighbour citie of Mantova of a sweet presence and proper comely feature of some twentie five yeares old not verie rich yet indued with competent meanes to maintaine himselfe like himselfe but infinitly well bred and adorned and honored with all those generous parts and endowments which are requisit to make the gallants of our times compleat and the other Seignior Inan de Borlari a verie rich Gentleman of the same citie of Verona a proper man of countenance but of personage some what crooke backed and much Camber leggd and drawing towards fortie yeares of age but of education conditions and qualities so ignorant and inciuill as hee seemed to bee rather a Citizen then a Gentleman or indeed more a clowne then a citizen and yet otherwise of mettall and courage enough And that we may the more apparantly see and perfectly know upon what tearmes they both stand aswell in the opinion of the Father as the affection of the Daughter Miniata is infinitly desirous of Borlari for his Sonne in law but not of Planeze and Felisanna is excedingly affected to take Planeze for her Husband but not Borlari which they both perceiving whiles Borlari intends to seeke the affection and cosent of the Father before that of the Daughter Planeze shapes a contrary course resolues to seeke and prefer that of the daughter before the Father the regard of Borlari his wealth and of Planezes poverty with covetous Miniata like a furious stream or impetuous Torrent beares downe all other regardes and considerations before it But the consideration and respect of Borlari his deformed personage and then that of Planezes sweet feature and deportment with amorous Felisanna as a delicious charme and heart-ravishing extasy sweepes away all other regards and respects whatsoever The Father bids Borlari to be couragious and cheerfull and then hee shall not faile to have his daughter for his wife But the daughter wills Planeze to be descreet and constant and then she will not faile to take him for her Husband Miniata to shew his love to Borlari forbids Planeze his his house and the company of his daughter Felisanna to reveale her deere and fervent affection to Planeze assureth â—…m he shall often enjoy both her sight and company but confidently if not peremptorily prohibits Borlari to approach her presence Thus whiles Borlari often frequenteth and converseth with the Father publikely no lesse or indeed farre oftner doth Planeze privatly and whiles the first hath more cause to despaire than reason to hope of her affection and consent to be his wife the second hath all the reasons and causes of the world not onely to hope but to assure himselfe thereof But the patience of a little time will shortly resolve our curiositie whereunto these different affections will tend and what the event and issue will bee of these their opposite intentions and resolutions But because the ambition and wisdome of Borlari will make it conspicuous and apparant to his Mistris That there is as much difference betwixt him and Planeze as there is betweene her selfe and her Chamber-Maid Radegonda Hee therefore seeing that he cannot hitherto gaine her by the perswasion of her Father now hopes and attempts it by this her maids solicitation as holding her to be a fit instrument for the compassing of his desires and a proper Agent for the perfecting and crowning of his wishes because his best genius and intelligence informe him that shee hath a great power and beares a great stroake and sway with her Mistres But we shall shortly see and he too soone finde the contrary and that these his ill grounded hopes and undervalewing attempt of his will both deceive his ambition and betray his wisdome and judgement Now to gaine this her chambermaide Radegonda to his will that thereby with the more facility and cheerefullnesse shee may obtaine him her Mistris her favour and affection Hee bribes her with silver and Gold and many other gifts if not too costly for his giving yet I am sure too rich for her receiving and in requitall thereof she with her tongue promiseth him her best power and assistance towards her Mistris but in her heart intendes the contrary which is directed to betray him He sends likewise by her to his love and her Mistris divers curious rich presents and two Letters and prays her to take time at advantage and so to deliver them to her from him the which likewise shee faithfully promiseth but yet intends nothing lesse so she holds it rather a vertue than a vice to keep these presents for her selfe and to give the letters to his Corrivall Planeze to whom by solemne oath she had formerly ingaged her best art and power and her chiefest assistance Which policy or rather which fallacy of hers is not so secretly borne betwixt Planeze and herselfe but Borlari by some sinister accidental meanes hath perfect notice therof which he takes so unkindely at Radegondaes hands as consulting more with passion then reason his heart is so inflamed with Choller and his resolution with revenge against her that impatient of all delaies he sends for her one afternoone to meet him at the Amphitheatre and from thence goes with her to the next street to a friends house of his where ascending a chamber and bolting the doore withinside to him he with choller and threats chargeth her with this her ingratefull infidelity and treachery towards him when drawing all the truth from her by making herselfe a witnesse against her selfe aswell of the delivery of his letters to Planeze as also of keeping her presents for her selfe and that her Mistris and he are
two Duellists having first thanked him for his noble Courtesie towards them but otherwise they are exceedingly grieved to see the victory puld out of their hands for the vanity and impiety of either of them flattered and bounded their hopes with no lesse ambition and felicity then each their owne life and either of them the death of his adversary But as they are gratefull to the Earle of Lucerni for this his honourable courtesie towards them yet they are so irreligious as they looke not up to Heaven nor once have the Grace to thinke of God much lesse to thanke his divine Majesty for now so mercifully and so gratiously withdrawing them as it were from out the very Iawes of death but still they retaine their malice and cherish and foment their revenge each to other especially Borlary to Planeze for it is a Continuall private griefe and a secret Corrasive to his content and minde to see that hee is inforced to weare the willow Garland and that Planeze must beare away his faire and beautifull Mistres Felisanna from him But we will for a little time leave them to their thoughts and their thoughts to God and so againe speake of Romeo the Laquey of Borlari who as a wretched and most execrable villane comes now to act a bloody and wofull part in this History For we must here understand that this lewd Laquey Romeo is so extreamly incensed with Choller and inraged with malice against the Lady Felisanna for the losse of his eare as being seduced and encouraged by the Devill hee was once of the minde to have murthered her in the street the very first time he had met or seene her but then againe respecting his master Borlari whom he knew affected her tenderly and deerely hee forsooke that opinion of his and resolved to wreake his wrath and indignation upon her-three servants who were the Actors of cutting off his eare as he was the Author therof But then againe remembring that he knew them not nor any of them for that they were all purposely masked and disguised He then swaps a bargaine with the devill and the devill with him that the storme of this his malice and revenge should assuredly fall on Radegonda her Chambermaid from whom it originally proceeded and from this resolution hee is so execrably prophane and bloudy as he vowes that neither Heaven or Earth God or man shall divert him But as Envy cannot prove so pernitious an enemy to others as to her selfe so Revenge will in the end assuredly make us as miserable as first it fasly promised to make us happy Romeo continueth still resolute in his rage and implacable in his revenge towards Radegonda and yet poore innocent harmelesse soule shee was not so much as guilty of a badde thought muchlesse of a bad action or office towards him and therefore least deserving this his revenge when waiting many Nights for her as shee issued forth in the street in her Ladies errands hee at last in a darke night found her and there slew her with his rapier giving her foure severall wounds whereof he mought have spared the three last because the verie first was mortall and thereuppon betooke himselfe to his heeles and fled through the streets where the people flocked together at the report and knowledge of this lamentable Murther but God is so exasperated at this foule and lamentable fact of his as in his Starre-chamber of Heaven he hath ordained and decreed that Romeo shall instantly receive condigne punishment for the same as not deserving to survive it for running through the streets to provide for his safety and life He at last tooke the river of Addice neere the old castle where thinking to swimme over to the other side or to hide himselfe in some of the mill-boates hee was discovered by the sentinells for the watch was already set and the newes of this murther was by this time resounding and ecchoing in all parts of the City The Souldiours of the Castle suspected him to bee the murtherer they send a boat after him and apprehend him so by the criminall Iudges he is committed to prison for that night and being the next morning accused by Seignior Miniata by way of torture and by the Lady Felisanna his daughter by legall order for the murthering of her Chambermaid Radegonda he without any thought of feare or shew of sorrow or repentance freely confesseth it for the which he is presently condemned to bee hanged and the same day after dinner hee was accordingly dispatched and executed notwistanding that his master Borlari used his best friends and power yea and proffered two hundred zechines to save him Thus wee see there was but one poore night betweene Romeoes taking away of Radegondaes life and losing of his owne and betweene her murthering and his hanging At his execution hee spake not a word either of the losse of his eare by the Lady Felisanna or of that of Radegondaes haire by his master Borlari whereat both of them exceedingly rejoyce and no lesse doth Planeze But for the other speeches which this bloudy footman delivered on the ladder at this execution they were either so ungodly or so impertinent as the relation thereof no way deserves my pen or my Readers knowledge And here to leave the dead Servant Romeo returne wee againe to speake of his living Master Borlari who after he had spent much time and labour and as I may say ran his invention and wit out of breath to seeke to prevent that Planeze mought not marry the fayre Felisanna hath notwithstanding to his matchlesse griefe and unseparable sorrow sees that it is al bootlesse and in vaine for by this time she through the importunity of her teares and prayers hath obtained her father Miniataes consent to take and enjoy Seignior Planeze for her Husband when to both their hearts delight and content they are solemnely married in Verona and in that height of pompe and bravery as is requisite to their noble ranke and quality When Planeze the more to please his new wife leaves Mantova and wholly builds up his residence in Verona with her and in her father Miniataes house who never hated him so much heretofore as now he deepely affects and loves him and to say and write the truth hee well deserved that affection of the father and this love of the daughter sith the lustre and vertue of his actions made it apparant to all Verona yea to all Italy that hee proved a most kinde and loving Husband to the one and a most obedient and respective sonne in law to the other Now although Felisanna bee thus marryed to Planeze yet the affection of Borlari to her is still so far from fading or withring thereat as it reâ—…iveth and flourisheth at the sight of her pure and delicate beauty for those golden tresses of her haire those splendant raies of her sparkling eyes and thosedelicious lilies and Roses of her cheekes doe act such wonders in his heart and his heart
happinesse to you as I your sorrwfull daughter and his poore mother see my selfe borne to affliction and misery God will requite this your charity to him and thereby I shall the sooner forget your unnaturall unkindnesse and cruelty towards my selfe And so may you live in as much prosperity as I feare I shall shortly die in extreame indigence and misery FERMIA Her father Moron receiveth and peruseth this third Letter of his daughter Fermia whereat being yet nothing moved in charity or touched in compassion towards her but onely towards her young sonne and his grand childe Thomaso he returnes her this short answer MORON to FERMIA I See thou art both wilfull and obstinate in disobeying my commands with thy Letters wherein I beleeve thou takest more glory than either I conceive griefe at the relation of thy wants or sorrow at the repetition of thy miseries the which I am so farre from releeving as I onely pitie it that I am thy father but not as thou art my daughter And yet because thy young sonne Thomaso is as innocent as thou art guilty of my displeasure and indignation therefore give him to this bearer whom I have purposely sent to receive hiâ—… of thee and I will see whether it be the pleasure of God that I shall be as happy in hiâ—… as I am unfortunate in thy selfe and if in his sacred providence he hath ordained and decreed that he prove as great a comfort to thy age as thou art a crosse and calamity to â—…ine which if it prove so then give God the onely praise and glory which is the best use and requitall which thou canst make or I desire MORON Our poore and desolate Fermia having received and over-read her fathers letter although she be wonderfull sorrowfull at the perseverance of his cruelty towards her selfe yet she is infinitely glad and joyfull at his compassion and kindnesse towards her young son who apparelling the very best that possibly she could which God knowes is ragged meane and poore she with a thousand sighs teares prayers blessings and kisses gives him to her fathers messenger and to whose affection and education as also to Gods gracious protection and preservation shee religiously recommends him when to her exceeding griefe and sensible affliction she sees it out of her possible power once to perswade her husband Lorenzo either to kisse or see him at his departure as if it were no part of his affection to blesse it or of his duty to pray to God to blesse it much lesse to kisse it at parting A most unkinde and unnaturall part of a father to his sweet and pretty young sonne Which strange and discourteous ingratitude of his it is not impossible for us to see God as strangely both to requite and revenge Sorrowfull Fermia having thus sent away her little sonne Thomaso to her father Moron at Savona she the very same night dreames in her poore bed and house in Genova that she shall never be so happy to see him againe when being awaked and remembring this her sorrowfull dreame she for meere griefe bitterly weeps thereat and although she would yet she cannot possibly forget or suppresse the remembrance thereof or once put it out of her minde so that thinking her selfe fortunate in placing this her little sonne with her father and his Grandfather shee is now very pensive and sorrowfull for his absence because she can no longer see him play with him and kisse him and is infinitely disconsolate and mournfull when she thinks of her dreame of him In the meane time her lewd husband growes from bad to worse so that her cohabitation is but a bondage with him and her mariage and wedlocke but an Indenture of slavery and a contract of misery under him Such is her incomparable griefe such her unparalleld afflictions and calamities Five yeares our disconsolate Fermia lives in this rich misery and miserable poverty with her husband and yet all the whole world cannot perswade her father Moron to take her home to him and maintaine her She hath no consolation left her but prayers nor remedy but enforced patience so shee armes her selfe with the last and adorneth her selfe with the first She was contented to begge for the maintenance of her little sonne Thomaso but now being eased of that burthen she will give it over so she works hard to get her hard and poore living which yet she cannot get so fast as her husband spends it prodigally and lasciviously Her care and vertues make her the pitie as his lewdnesse and vices make him the scorne and contempt of all their neighbours So whiles she sits at home close at her needle in poore apparell he idlely wanders and gads abroad untill he have brought his apparell to ragges and himselfe almost to nakednesse And here it is that her wretched husband Lorenzo now first beginnes to hearken to the devill yea to prove a very devill himselfe towards this his deare and vertuous wife for he enters into a consultation with himselfe that if he were once rid of his wife Fermia he might marry some other with a good portion to maintaine him and so againe set up his trade of baking which now had forsaken him because he had vitiously and unthriftily forsaken it When his faith being as weake with God as his infamous life and vices were odious to the world he assumes a bloudy and damnable resolution to murther her and hereunto the Devill is still at his elbow to provoke and egge him onward and continually blowes the coales to this his malice and indignation against her So neither his minde or heart his conscience or soule can divert him from this fearfull enterprize and lamentable and bloudy businesse The which to performe and perpetrate he on a great holiday which was the purification of the blessed Virgin Mary takes her with him into a Vineyard some halfe a mile from the City of Genova under colour to recreate themselves and to take the aire which God knowes she poore soule takes for a great because an unaccustomed favour and courtesie at his hands where she most lovingly and willingly goes with him and there feigning himselfe fast a sleep and she innocent harmlesse young woman then thereslept soundly and every way being as devoid of feare as he was of grace he with a barbarous and diabolicall cruelty seeing the coast cleare softly riseth up and cuts her throat without giving her the power time or happinesse to utter one word before her death Where leaving her weltring and goring in her bloud he speedily and politikely enters Genova by a contrary gate thereby to avoid all suspition of this his bloudy and damnable fact The very same night this her breathlesse murthered body is found out by some of Genova who accidentally walked that way and they causing it to be brought to the City it is knowne by some of Lorenzo's neighbours to bee his wife Fermia whereat to adde the better cloke to his knavery and shadow
to his villany he seemes to be wonderfully sad and passionately sorrowfull for the same and so requesteth the Criminall officers both in and about the City to make curious research and enquiry for the murtherers of his wife which they doe but this hypocriticall sadnesse and false sorrow of his though to the eye of the world it prevaile for a time yet to that of Gods mercy and justice in the end it shall little availe him so he gives her a poore and obscure buriall every way unworthy the sweetnesse of her beauties and the excellencie of her vertues Her father Moron hath speedy notice of this deplorable death of his daughter who considering how she had cast away her selfe upon so bad a Husband as Lorenzo though outwardly hee seeme to bewaile and lament it yet inwardly he much cares not for it and for her little sonne Thamaso his few yeares dispenceth with his capacity from understanding much lesse from lamenting and mourning for this disastrous end of his mother A moneth after the cruell murther and buriall of this vertuous yet unfortunate young woman Fermia her bloudy and execrable husband Lorenzo is yet so devoid of feare and grace as he goes to Savona to request his father in law Moron to give him some maintenance in regard he had no portion from him with his wife his daughter as also to see his sonne Thomaso But Moron by his servants sends him a peremptory refusall to both these his requests and so will neither see him nor suffer him to see his sonne but absolutely for ever forbids him his house Whereat Lorenzo all in choller leaves Savona and returnes to Genova where selling away his wives old cloaths to provide him new he seeks many maidens and widdowes in mariage but the fame of his bad life and infamous carriage and deportment with his late wife is so fresh and great that they all disdaine him so that utterly despairing ever to raise himselfe and his fortunes by mariage he forsakes and leaves Genova inrols himselfe a Bandetti and for many yeares together practiseth that theevish profession to the which we willl eave him and speake a little of his young and little sonne Thomaso Old Moron traines up this his Grand-child Thomaso very vertuously and industriously and at the age of fourteene yeares bids him chuse and embrace any trade he best liketh When Thomaso exceedingly delighting in limming graving and imagery he becomes a Goldsmith and in foure or five yeares after is become a singular expert and skilfull workman in his trade His Grandfather loves him dearly and tenderly and intends to make him his heire but Thomaso led as I thinke by the immediate hand and providence of God or out of his owne naturall disposition and inclination being of a gadding humour to travell abroad and see other Cities and Countreyes and having a particular itching desire to see Rome which he understood is one of the very prime and chiefe places of the world for rich and curious Goldsmiths Hee finding a french ship of Marseilles which by contrary winds stopt in the Road of Savona bound up for Civita Vechia very secretly packes up his trunke and trinkets and so goes along in that ship Now as soone as his Grandfather Moron understands hereof he very much grieves at this his rash and sodaine departure So Thomaso arrives at Civita Vechia goes up to Hostia by sea and thence on the River Tiber to Rome where hee becomes a singular ingenious Gold-Smith and thrives so well as after a few yeares he there keepes shop for himselfe and constantly builds up his residence In all this long tract and progression of time which my true information tels me is at least twenty foure yeares his father Lorenzo continues a theevish Bandetti in the state of Genova and Luca where hee commits so many Lewd robberies and strange rapines depraedations and thefts as that country at last becomes too hot for him and he too obnoxious for it so he leaves it and travelleth into Thoscany and to the faire famous Citty of Florence which is the Metropolis therof where with the moneys he had gotten by the revenewes of his robberies he againe sets up his old trade of a Baker in which profession he knew himselfe expert and excellent and here hee setleth himselfe to live and dwell takes a faire commodious house and lookes out hard for some rich old maiden or young widdow to make his new wife But God will prevent his thoughts and frustrate his designes and desires herein For as yet his bloudy thoughts have not made their peace with his soule nor his soule with his all seeing and righteous God for the cruell murthering of his old wife Fermia which as an impetuous storme and fierce tempest will sodainely befall him when hee least dreams or thinkes hereof yea by a manner so strange and an accident so miraculous that former ages have seldome if ever paralleld or givenus a precedent hereof and wherein the power and providence the mercy and Iustice of God resplends with infinite lustre and admiration and therefore in my poore judgment and opinion I deeme it most worthy of our observation as we are men and of our remembrance as we are christians Charles now Cardinall of Medicis going up to Rome to receive his hat of this present Pope Vrban VIII and Cosmos the great duke of Florence his Brother in honour to him and their illustrious bloud and family whereof they are now chiefe resolving to make his entry and aboade in that Citty of Rome to be stately and magnificent Hee causeth his house and traine in all points to be composed of double officers and Servants to whom he gives rich and costly liveryes and among others our Lorenzo is found out elected and pricked downe to be one of his Bakers for his owne trencher in that Iourney where in Rome he flaunts it out most gallantly and bravely in rich apparell and is still most deboshed and prodigall in his expenses before any other of the Cardinals meniall Seruants without ever any more thinking or dreaming of the murthering of his wife Fermia but rather absolutely beleives that as he so God had wholly buryed the remembrance of that bloudy fact of his in perpetuall silence and oblivion But the devill will deceive his hopes For now that Lamentable murther of his cryes aloud to Heaven and to God for vengeance Wherein we shall behold and see that it is the providence and pleasure of God many times to punish one sinne in and by another yea and sometimes one sin for another as reserving it in the secret will and inscrutable providence to punish Capitall offenders whereof murtherers are infallibly the greatest both when where and how he pleaseth for earthly and sinfull eyes have neither the power to pry into his heavenly decrees nor our minde and capacity to dive into his divine actions and resolutions because many times hee accelerateth or delayeth their punishments as they shall
likewise in tearmes fit for him to give and them to receive acquaints her two Brothers with his sute and affection to their Sister and with his best art and eloquence indeavoureth on honorable tearmes to gaine and purchase their consents thereunto As for her Mother she preferring wealth to honour and riches to content considering the weakenesse of Monfredo's estate the death of his parents whereby shee sees him deprived of all future hope to raise his fortunes doth absolutely denye to bestow her Daughter on him in marriage and the more to bewray her extreame distaste of this his sute and dislike of himselfe shee with much obstinacie and choller forbids him her Daughters company and with more incivility and indignation conjures him to leave and forbeare her house telling him shee hath already firmely ingaged her word and promise to Don Alonso Delrio that hee shall shortly espouse and marry her Now although this sharpe answer of hers seeme to nip Monfredo's hopes and desires in their blossomes yet relying more on the affection and constancie of the Daughter then on the power or resolution of the Mother hee againe and againe with a most respective and honourable importunity solliciteth her consent but he sees it lost labour because shee is resolute that her first shall bee her last answer to him herein As for her Brother Don Pedro he loves his Sister so perfectly and her content so dearely that hee findes him to stand well affected to their affections and in regard of his love to her and respect to him that hee utterly contemnes the motion and mention of Delrio and therfore faithfully promiseth Monfredo his best assistance towards his Mother for the effecting of their desires But for her yonger Brother Don Martino he findes a contrary nature and disposition in him for he never loved but hated his Sister Cecilliana and therfore hates Monfredo for her sake â—…nd loves Delrio because he heares she hates him and so animates his Mother against them and thus hee gives Monfredo cold answers and the sooner and betâ—…r to convert his hope into despaire tells him plainely that Delrio must and shall â—…arry his Sister and none but hee Thus Monfredo departs as glad of Don Peâ—… his love as hee is sorrowfull for his Mother and Brother Don Martino's hatred And here to observe the better order in this History and likewise to give the curiâ—…sity of the Reader the fuller satisfaction it will not be improper rather pertinent â—…or us to understand that Don Delrio was a well descended Gentleman likewise of â—…e same city of Burgos rich in lands and monyes but at least fifty five yeares old having a white head and beard of a hard and soure favoure and exceedingly baker-legged yet as old as hee was hee was so passionately inamoured of the fresh and sweet beauty of Cecilliana that hee thought her not too young to bee his wife nor himselfe too old to bee her husband but led more by his lust then his judgement and incouraged by Dona Catherina her Mother for that his great lands and wealth wholly inclined and weighed downe her affection towards him hee often visiteth her Daughter Cecilliana and with his best oratory and power seeks and courts her affection in the way of marriage but shee having her heart fixed on Monfredo's youth and comely feature shee highly slights Delrio's frozen age as disdayning to make her selfe a May to this December because shee apparantly knew and perfectly believed that hee was every way fitter for his grave then for her bed for it was Monfredo and onely Monfredo whom her heart had elected and chosen for her second selfe and Husband And suppose quoth she that Monfredo bee not so rich as Delrio yet all Castile yea all Spayne well knowes that by descent and generosity hee is farre more noble and that there is as great an Antithesis and disparity betweene the vertues of the first and the defects and imperfections of the last as there is betweene a Clowne and a Captaine and a Peasant and a Prince therefore let my Mother say whar she will Delrio what he can or my Brother Martino what he dare yet they shall see and the world know that I will bee wife to none but Monfredo and that either hee or my Grave shall bee my Husband But the Lady Catherina her Mother notwithstanding her Daughters aversnesse and obstinacie layes her charge and blessing upon her to forsake Monfredo and take Delrio urging to her the poverty of the one and the wealth of the other what delights and contentments the last will give her and what afflictions and misery the first doth threaten her but the affection of Cecilliana is still so firmely fixed and strongly setled and cymented on her Monfredo that she is deafe to these requests and blinde to these reasons of her Mother in seeking to disswade her from him and in consenting and perswading her to accept of Delrio for her Husband and although her Mother follow her in all places as her shadow and haunt her at all times as her Ghost to draw her hereunto yet shee still findes her Daughter as resolute to denye as shee is importunate to request it of her vowing that shee will rather wed her selfe to a Nunnery then to Delrio whom shee sayth shee cannot affect and therefore peremptorily disdayneth to marry Her Mother seeing her daughter thus constantly and wilfully to persevere in her obstinacy against her desires shee with much choller and griefe relates from poynt to poynt to her Sonne Don Martino what had past betweene them whom shee knew did as much love Delrio and hate Monfredo as her eldest Sonne Don Pedro hated Delrio and loved Monfredo for their Sister in marriage Martino takes advantage of thiâ—… occasion and oportunity and thinking to give two blowes with one stone bâ—… crossing his Sister in her affection and his Brother in his designes and wishes dotâ—… now more then ever incense his Mother against her alledging that it would bee 〈◊〉 farre greater honour and lesse scandall to their Name and House that shee werâ—… rather marryed to a Nunnery then a Beggar and with many powerfull reasons and artificiall perswasions strives to make her incliâ—…able to this project and flexâ—… ble to this resolution of his as indeed in a little time she doth For the Mothâ—… being thus wedded to her will and therein now confirmed by the slie policiâ—… and fortifyed by the subtile insinuation of her Sonne Don Martino shee hereupâ—… constantly resolves to betake and give her Daughter to God and the Church 〈◊〉 firming that shee shall never reape any true content in her thoughts nor peace her heart before she see her cloystered up and espoused to a Nunnery But this compact of theirs is not so closely carryed betweene them but the vigilancie of Don Pedro whose affection and care aymes to give Monfredo and his Sister content hath perfect notice and intelligence hereof the which for a time hee holds fit to conceale from
his Lady Dona Catherina and her sonne Don Martino and then privately the other to the young Lady Cecilliana according to his promise and Don Delrio's request As for the mother she grieves to see that Delrio will not bee reclaymed but hath quite forsaken her Daughter But for her Sonne don Martino hee is exceeding joyfull hereof for now he is confident that according to his plot his mother upon Delrio's refufall will in meere malice to Monfredo assuredly commit his sister to a Nunnery Thus if hee obtayne his ends and desires hee cares not who misse theirs As for Cecilliana shee doth not a little rejoyce at Delrio's Letter to her and at his constant resolution to leave and commit her to Monfredo yea shee reputes his advise to her concerning her mother and her brother don Martino's intended discourtesie towards her to much respect and honour She acquaints her brother don Pedro and her Monfredo with this Letter of Delrio who now plainely see their mother and brothers former resolution confirmed in ayming and intending to make Cecilliana a holy Sister whereat they againe laugh and jest at her and shee to them for in their hearts and thoughts they all know and resolve to prevent it But they cannot but highly approve of Delrio's noble respect and true discretion in being so constant to give over his sute to her and yet so courteous and honest towards them all in this his kind and respectfull Letter to Cecilliana the which above the other two shee cheerefully receives and joyfully welcomes that shee resolves shee can in honour doe no lesse then returne his complement and answer his Letter with one of her owne to him the which shee doth in these tearmes CECILLIANA to DELRIO WHat my brother don Pedro informed you concerning Monfredo and my selfe was the very truth and sincerity of those affections wherewith God hath inspired â—…r hearts and setled our resolutions each to other As I was never doubtfull of your well-wishes and love so now I am not a little thankefull to you for your deare respect towards mee in approoving my choyce and in praying to God to make it prosperous whereas the obstinacie of my Lady mother and the malice of my brother don Martino without ground or reason affirme it must needes proove ruinous I have heeretofore beene advertised and 〈◊〉 by your care of mee and respect to mee which clearely resplends and shines in your Lâ—…tter anâ—… fully confirmed that my said mother and brother have some undeserved designe against mee and my content and although my poore beauty and silly wit no way deserve those excellent prayses of your pen yet my heart shall consult with don Pedro how to beare my selfe in this so weighty and important a businesse whereon although the cause be malice and the pretext religion I know depends either my future content or affliction my happinesse or my misery in the meane time I will pray for those who vitiously hate mee and honour these 〈◊〉 vertuously affect and honour mee Of which last number I ingenuously and gratefully acknowledge that your generosity not my merits hath condignely made you one CECILLIANA When shee had dispatched this Letter to Delrio then Monfredo by her consent and the advice of her brother don Pedro holds it very requisite now once againe to sound the affection and to feele the pulse of their mother dona Catherina's resolâ—…tion towards him to see whether yea or no shee will please to give him her daughter in marriage and it is agreed of all sides betweene them that at the very time and houre which he goes there that shee and her brother don Pedro will purposely absent themselves and ride abroad in their Coach to take the aire which they doe To this effect Monfredo takes his Coach and goes directly to the Lady Catherina's house and sends up his name to her as desiring to have the honour to salute her and kisse her hand but shee is so inraged and transporâ—…ed with choller at his arrivall and message as shee sends him downe a flat and â—…eremptory denyall that shee will not see him and as formerly shee prayed so â—…ow shee commands him to depart and ever hereafter to forbeare her house An â—…swer so unkinde and uncivill that Monfredo well knowes not whether hee have â—…cason to digest it with more choller or laughter so returning her answer by her â—…ayting-gentlewoman that hee will obey her commands and no more trouâ—… either her house or her patience yet that hee will still remaine her most humâ—… servant and although shee refuse to see him that hee will ever pray for her long life and prosperity don Martino is now at home and laughs in his sleeve as a Gipsie to see what brave entertainment his mother gives Monfredo he expecteth also that hee should visite him but because his mothers stomacke is so high therefore his cannot descend so low as owing him no such duety and service and so takes Coach and away and knowing where don Pedro and his Mistresse Cecilliana were in the fields hee drives away presently to them and very pleasantly relates them the whole long storie of their mothers short entertainment to him which administreth matter of laughter to them all and farre the more in regard neither of them expected lesse so Monfredo staying an houre or two with them in the fields and then bringing them to the gates of the City they for that time take their leave each of other and all appoynt to meet the next day after dinner in the Garden of the Augustine Fryers and there to provide and resolve for their affaires against the discontent of their mother and the malice of their brother don Martino The next morning the Lady Catherina storming at Monfredo's yesterdayes presumption and boldnesse sends for her daughter Cecilliana into the Garden to her as being fully resolved to deale effectually with her for ever to forsake Monfredo or if shee cannot then to commit her to a Nunnery Shee comes when in great privacie and efficacie shee layes before her the poverty of Monfredo the which shee affirmes will bring her to more misery then shee can expect or thinke of or indeed which shee deserves at least if shee bee not so wilfull to ruine her selfe and her fortunes as shee is to preserve them Cecilliana now seeing her mother bent to play her prize against the merits and honour of her Monfredo and therefore against the content and felicity which shee expects to injoy by injoying him shee no longer able to brooke or digest it cuts her off with this reply that her duety excepted it is in vaine for her either to seeke to disparage Monfredo or any way of the world to attempt to withdraw her affection from him and therefore with much observance and respect prayes her to affect and honour him if not for his owne sake yet for hers Her Lady mother weeps to see her daughter thus obstinate shee might have sayd thus constant in her
affection to Monfredo and therefore with frownes in her lookes and anger in her eyes she thunders out a whole Catalogue of disprayses and recriminations against him and because yet shee despayreth to prevaile with her hereby shee now thinking it high time resolves to divert and change the streame of her affection from him to God and so at last to mew and betake her to a Nunnery whereon her desires and intentions have so long ruminated and her wishes and vowes aymed at to which end calming the stormes of her tongue and composing her countenance to patience and piety she with her best art and eloquence speakes to her thus That in regard she will not accept of don Delrio for her husband with whom shee might have injoyed prosperity content and glory but will rather marry Monfredo from whom she can and must expect nothing but poverty griefe and repentance shee therefore out of her naturall regard of her and tender affection to her hath by the direction of God bethought her selfe of a medium betweene both which is to marry neither of them but in a religious and sanctifyed way to espouse her selfe to God and his holy Church when thinking to have taken time by the forelocke shee depainteth her the felicity and beatitude of a Nunnes profession and life so pleasing to God and the World to Heaven and Earth to Angels and Men When her daughter Cecilliana being tyred and discontented with this poore and ridiculous oration of hers shee lifting up her eyes to Heaven with a modest boldnesse and yet with a bold truth interrupts her mother thus that God hath inspired heâ—… heart to affect Monfredo so deerely and to love him so tenderly as shee will rather content her selfe to beg with him then to live with Delrio in the greatest prosperity which either this life or this world can afford her that although shee had no bad opinion of Nunnes yet that neither the constitution of her body much lesse of her minde was proper for a Nunnery or a Nunnery for her in which regard shee had rather pray for them then with them and honour then imitate them when the Lady her mother not able to containe her selfe in patience much lesse in silence at this audacity and as shee thought impiety of her daughter she with much choller and spleene demands her a reason of these her exorbitant speeches When her daughter no way dejecting her lookes to earth but rather advancing and raysing them to heaven requites her with this answer That it is not the body but the minde not the flesh but the soule which is chiefly requisite and required to give our selves to God and his Church that to throw or which is worse to permit our selves to be throwne on the Church through any cause of constraint or motion of distaste or discontent is an act which savoureth more of prophanenesse then piety and more of earth then heaven that as Gods power so his presence is not to bee confined or tyed to any place for that his Centre is every where and therefore his circumference no where that God is in Aegypt as well as in Palestyne or Hierusalem and that heaven is as neere us and wee heaven in a Mansion house as in a Monastery or Nunnery that it is not the place which sanctifyeth the heart and soule but they the place and that Churches and Cloysters have no priviledge or power to keepe out sin if we by our owne lively faith and God by his all-saving grace doe not Which speech of hers as soon as she had delivered and seeing that the Lady her mother was more capable to answer her thereunto with silence then reason she making her a low reverence and craving her excuse departs from her and leaves her here alone in the Garden to her selfe and her Muses Her mother having a little walked out her choller in seeing her daughters firme resolution not to become a Nunne shee leaves the garden and retires to her Chamber where sending for her sonne Martino she relates him at full what conference had there past betweene his sister and her selfe who likewise is so much perplexed and grieved hereat as putting their heads and wits together they within a day or two vow to provide a remedy for this her obstinacie and wilfulnesse As for Cecilliana shee likewise reports this verball conference which had past betweene her mother and her selfe to her brother Don Pedro and Monfredo when according to promise they met that afternoone in the Augustines garden who exceedingly laugh thereat and yet againe fearing lest the malice of their brother Don Martino towards them mought cause his mother to use some violence or indurance to her and so to make force extort that from her will which faire meanes could not they bid her to assume a good courage and to be cheerefull and generous promising her that if her mother attempted it that Monfredo should steale her away by night and that hee as hee is don Pedro her brother will assist her in her escape and flight whereon they all resolve with hands and conclude with kisses Neither did their doubts prove vaine or their feare and suspicion deceive them herein for her incensed mother being resolute in her will and wilfull in â—…er obstinacie to make her daughter a Nunne shee shuts her up in her Chamber makes it no lesse then her prison and her brother don Martino her Guardian or â—…ather her Goaler Poore Cecilliana now exceedingly weepes and grieves at this â—…ruelty of her mother and brother don Martino which as yet her deare brother don â—…dro cannot remedy by perswading or prevailing with them to release her hee acquaints Monfredo herewith and they both consulting finde no better expedient to free her from this domesticall imprisonment then counterfeitly to give her mother to understand and believe that her daughter hath now changed her mind and that by Gods direction shee is fully resolved to abandon Monfredo and so to spend and end her dayes in a Nunnery but contrariwise they resolve to fetch her away by night and without delay Accordingly hereunto Cecilliana acts her part well and pretends now to this spirituall will and resolution of her mother sa before she was disobedient Her mother infinitly rejoyceth at this her conversion and no lesse or rather more doth her brother don Martino who to fortifie and confirme her in this her religious resolution they send some Friers and Nunnes to perswade her to appoynt the precise day for her entrance into this Holy house and Orders which with her tongue shee doth but in her heart resolves nothing lesse or rather directly the contrary The mother now acquaints both her sonnes with this resolution of their sister which is the next Sunday to give her selfe to God and the Church and to take holy Orders when don Pedro purposely very artificially seemes as strongly to oppose as his brother don Martino cheerefully approves thereof now extolling her devotion and piety as farre as the
for the death of her eldest Sonne Don Pedro for the disobedient flight and clandestine Marriage of her Daughter Cecilliana to Monfredo who is now murthered but by whom shee knowes not and seeing her sayd Daughter thereby made a sorrowfull Widdow shee as an indulgent and kinde Mother forgâ—…ng what she had formerly done and beene and now desirous to comfort her and to bee comforted of her againe sends her sonne Don Martino to Valdebelle to solliciâ—…e his Sister to returne and to live with her in Burgos Who detesting this pâ—…ject and resolution of his Mother is very sorrowfull thereat but seeing that shee will be obeyed he rides over to Valdebelle to his Sister and there delivereth his Mothers will and message to her but in such faint and cold tearmes as shee thereby knowes hee is farre more desirous of her absence than her presence and of her stay than her returne yea and to write the truth of her minde his very sight strikes such flames of feare into her heart and of suspicion into her thoughts that shee still assumes and retaines her old opinion and confidence that hee is the absolute Murtherer of her brother Don Pedro and her husband Don Monfredo but herein shee now holds it discretion to conceale her selfe to her selfe and so gives him kinde and respective entertainment shee prayes him to report her humble duety to her Mother that she will consider of her request and either send or bring her 〈◊〉 resolution shortly but inwardly in her heart and soule she intends nothing lesse than either to hazard her content upon the discontent of her Mother or which is worse her life on the inveterate malice of her brother Don Martino And now we approch and draw neere to see the judgements and justice of God overtake this our wretched Don Martino for these his two most lamentable and bloudy Murthers And now his sacred Majestie is fully resolved to detect them and his Arrow is bent and Sword whetted to punish him for the same for wee must understand that the very same day which her brother Don Martino was last with her at Valdebelle his Confessor Father Thomas dyed and some three dayes after his Sister Cyrilla according to his dying order rides over to the Lady Cecilliana and delivereth her the Priest her brothers Letter at the receipt whereof Cecilliana findes different emotions in her heart and passions in her minde 〈◊〉 going into the next roome she breaks up the seales and finds therein these Lines FATHER THOMAS to CECILLIANA WEll knowing that the Lawes of Heaven are farre more powerfull and sacred than those of Earth as I now lye on my Death-bed ready to leave this life and to flie into the Armes of my Saviour and Redeemer Christ Iesus I could not goe to my Grave in peace before I had signifyed unto thee that very lately thy brother Don Martino in Saint Honoria's Church delivered unto me in confession That he had first poysoned thy brother Don Pedro with a paire of perfumed Gloves and then after murthered thy husband Don Monfredo with his Rapier in Burgos And although I must and doe acknowledge that he was in his Fit of Lunacie and Madnes when he thus made himselfe a witnes against himselfe hereof yet no doubt the immediat finger and providence of God led him to this resolution as an act which infinitly tends to his sacred Honor and Glory I send thee this Letter by my Sister Cyrilla whom I have strictly charged to deliver it to thee three dayes after my buriall because I hold it most consonant to my Profession and Order that not my Life but my Death should herein violate the seale of Confession and thou shalt shew thy selfe a most religious and Christian Lady if thou make this use hereof that it is not my selfe but God who sends thee this Newes by mee FATHER THOMAS Cecilliana having o're-read this Letter and therein understood and found out that her brother Don Martino is the cruell Murtherer both of her brother Don Pedro and her husband Don Monfredo her griefe thereat doth so farre o'resway her reason and her malice and revenge her religion as once shee is of the minde to murther him with her owne hand in requitall hereof but then againe strangling that bloudy thought in its conception shee vowes that if not by her owne hand he shall yet infallibly dye by the hand of the common Executioner When Love Pitty Nature Reason Griefe Sorrow Rage and Revenge acting their severall parts upon the Stage of her heart shee findes a great combate in her heart and reluctancie in her soule what or what not to doe herein when with many teares and prayers by the Advice and Counsell of God shee enters into this consultation hereon with her selfe Ahlas unfortunate and sorrowfull Cecilliana It is upon no light presumption or triviall circumstances that I believe my brother Martino to be the inhumane murtherer of my brother Don Pedro and husband Monfredo for besides that God ever prompted my heart and whispered my soule that this was true yet now here is his owne Confession to his Ghostly father and his Ghostly Fathers owne Letter and Confession to mee to the same effect Evidences and Witnesses without exception as cleere as noone day and as bright as the Sunne in his hottest and brightest Meridian that hee and onely he was the Murtherer of them both but Oh poore Cecilliana quoth shee to what a miserable estate and perplexity hath these his bloudy facts and crimes now reduced mee for he hath murthered my brother and husband shall I then permit him to live but withall he is likewise my brother and shall I then cause him to dye True it is I cannot recall their lives but it is likewise as true that I may prevent his death for as the first lay not in my power to remedie yet all the world knowes that the second meerely depends of my pity courtesie and compassion to prevent but Ahlas saith she the tyes of heaven are and ought to be infinitly more strong than those of earth and the glory of God to be far preferred before all our naturall affections and obligations to our best Friends or neerest or dearest Kinsfolkes whosoever Therefore as to detect these Murthers of his thou art no friend to Nature so againe to conceale them thou thereby makest thy selfe an enemy to Grace for assure thy selfe unfortunate Cecilliana that God will never bee appeased nor Iustice satisfyed untill their innocent blood be expiated and washed away in his who is guilty thereof because as by detecting Murther wee blesse and glorifie God so by concealing it we heap a fatall Anatheâ—…a and curse upon our own heads As Clouds are disâ—…pated and blowne away when the Sun ariseth and moâ—…teth in his Verticall lustre and glory so Cecilliana having thus ended her consultation with her selfe and now began her resolution with God she leaves Valdebelle takes her Coach and dispeeds away to Burgos where in steed of
her heart cannot but in dumbe Eloquence and silent Rhetorike bewray it him So as to omit the gifts presents and especially the letters which interchangeably past betweene them and which indeed powerfully assisted to the sympathising and cimenting of their youthfull affections it sufficeth that we take notice and knowledge that Valfontaines presence was La Pratiere's delight and the enjoying of her company his felicity and glory and that she in life and death would remaine his obedient and faithfull Wife and he her faithfull and loving Husband Onely she prayes him carefully and respectfully to conceale her affection to him and so likewise to observe her Father in seeking his consent to their marriage the which hee promiseth her shortly to performe For as soone as La Pratiere hath left Nantes and purposely retired her selfe home to her Fathers house at Saint Aignaw Valfontaine is not many dayes behind her where hee acquaints her Father Pennelle with his affection to his daughter seekes her in marriage requesteth his consent and with many reasons fairely and discreetly endeavoreth to induce him thereunto where for three or foure dayes hee takes up his lodging and residence under pretence to court the Daughter whom we know he hath already won but his sute is no way pleasing but distastfull to Pennelle who although he know that Monsieur de Caerstainge his Father as well for lands as blood is every way rather his Superiour then his Equall yet because his Daughter La Pratiere is his only child and heire and Valfontaine but a Cadet or younger Brother therefore covetousnesse makes him assume this resolution that hee will have none of him for his Sonne in Law but this reason and conclusion hee conceales to himselfe and so in generall termes gives Valfontaine a cold and averse answere little better in effect then a flat deniall and thus for his first Iourney Valfontaine takes leave of his sweet La Pratiere no way doubting but that his second to her will prove lesse distastfull and more fortunate he leaves Nantes and rides home to Vannes Being arrived at Vannes he acquaints his Father and Mother with his affection and sute to Madamoyselle La Pratiere the onely daughter and heire as we have heard of Monsieur de Pennelle of Saint Aignaw whereunto because they know him to bee rich and noble and his Daughter faire and vertuous they give good approbation and allowance when Valfontaine praying his Father to ride over to Monsieur de Pennelle to conferre with him about this busines whose presence hee hopeth will effect that with him which hee feares and knowes his poore power cannot But his Father although he be very glad to procure his Sonnes advancement and content by this match yet being at that time much troubled with the Gout he excuseth himselfe upon his indisposition and so defers off that Iourney to another time Valfontaine missing of his Father deemes it rather expedient then impertinent to entreat his brother Quatbrisson herein to whom hee fully relates what hath past betweene Pennelle and himselfe but withall conceales upon what termes he stands with La Pratiere or that she is any way his or hee hers either by contract or promise to the end that he may have no just cause either to taxe her immodesty or condemne her indiscretion in so suddainely giving her selfe to him Quatbrisson very willingly yeelds to his brothers request when followed with a â—…raine and equipage answerable to their rancke and quality and armed with their Fathers Letter to Monsieur de Pennelle they take horse and ride to Saint-Aignaw Now as it is the errour or nature of Lovers to be still unsecret Secretaries in delighting to talke and pratle of their Mistresses whom they esteeme their soveraigne good and chiefest felicity So all the way betweene Vannes and Saint Aignaw Valfontaine could neither refraine nor restraine his tongue from painting forth La Pratiere in all the excellencie of her prayses and from extolling her beauty and perfections above the skies yea he ran so curious a division and so ample a comment on the wonders and raritie of her beauty that his verball relation already prepared his Brothers eyes to behold a female Master-peece of nature in La Pratiere but being arrived to her Fathers house a little before dinner time and seeing and saluting first him then her at the very first encounter and sight his senses are so surprised with the sweetnesse of her countenance and so taken with she exquisitnesse of her feature as he now finds that his brothers report and prayses of her come infinitly short the dignity and excellencie of her beauty Dinner being ended and Quatbrisson delivering his Fathers Letter to Pennelle with whom making a slight and superficiall conference concerning his brothers affection and sute to his Daughter he turnes from him to her who dying her milke white cheeks with a roseat blush to entertaine him hee ravished with the delicacie of so amorous an encounter and sweet object could not like wise refraine from blushing to see her blush when enquiring of her if she pleased to take the aire of the Garden where her Father and his Brother were already gone and attended them and she replying that his pleasure therein should be hers hee taking her by her hand conducts her thither where Valfontaine in civilitie purposely walking aloofe off because he hoped and assured himselfe that his brother Quatbrisson now meant effectually to speake with his Mistresse in his behalfe there being then no witnesses to their conference but only the sweet Quiresters of the woods the Thrushes and Nightingales who purposely and pleasantly sate on every bush and tree to delight them with their melifluous melodie the very first words he administred and directed to her was That if shee pleased to sweare her tongue to secrecie to what hee should now say and deliver to her hee would reveale her a secret which should infinitly import her good La Pratiere wondring at the nature of Quatbrissons first speech and request and what it mought meane or concerne stood a little while mute and silent not knowing what to conceive thereof much lesse what to answer thereto But at last considering that Valfontaine was her Lover and Quatbrisson his brother shee imagined there was some plot secretly compacted betweene them that if her Father would not condiscend to their desires that they had then resolved to steale her away from him and so to make it a Clandestine marriage Whereupon her affection being desirous to know the certaintie hereof and her curiositie ambitious to see this abstruse mysterie unlocked she grants him his request vowing to impose secrecie to her tongue in what he should deliver or intrust her with When he kissing her and evaporating many farre fetch'd sighes as the Herauld to proclaime his affection he tels her that her incomparable beauty hath captivated his thoughts and made his heart both her Tributary and her Prisoner that hee envies his brothers happinesse in having the
him this Letter LA PRATIERE to VALFONTAINE MY promise owes you this Letter whereby I give you to understand that I know not whether you have greater cause to love mee or to hate your brother Quatbrisson in regard he vowes hee affects me dearer then your selfe and hath attempted to rob you of your Wife and consequently me of my Husband and as this is ingratitude in a friend so it must needs be treachery in a Brother I have heard his courting and seene his complements tending that way but for your sake I relish those with distast these with neglest and himselfe with contempt and disdaine He hath won my Father to his will but rest you confident my deare Valfontaine that he neither can nor shall draw me to his desire And because true affection especially in accidents of this nature cannot still bee exempt of feare therefore if any arise or engender in your thoughts let this dissipate and dispell it that although my Father have banished you his house yet his Daughter is till death constantly resolved to retaine and cherish you in her heart and none but you Manage this your Pratieres advice with discretion towards my Father and not with choller towards your Brother and be but a little time a patient Spectator of my affection and constancie to you and you shall assuredly see him act his owne shame and your glory his affliction and your content and desire LA PRATIERE Valfontaine having received and read this Letter the base ingratitude and foule treachery of his brother Quatbrisson doth extremely afflict and torment him yea the knowledge and remembrance thereof throwes him into such passions of choller and fumes of revenge as once he resolved to right himselfe on him by sending him a Challenge and fighting with him vowing that the bonds of nature were not by farre so strong as those of affection and that his brother having given the first cause of offence and breach of amity betwixt them it was no marvell that he tooke that course and preferred that forme of proceeding to any other But then againe considering his deare La Pratieres injunction and prohibition from choller this last reason ore-swaied and prevailed against his former resolution when knowing himselfe infinitly obliged to her for her courtesie and constancie so sweetly expressed to him in this her Letter he can doe no lesse then returne her an answer thereof in requitall the which he doth by her owne Messenger in these termes VALFONTAINE to LA PRATIERE OF all men of the world I least thought that my brother Quatbrisson would have proved my Rivall in attempting to love you because he perfectly knowes I affect you farre dearer then the whole world yea this errour or as you justly terme it this treachery of his is so odious so strange to me as it had farre exceeded my beliefe if your affection and constancie had not so courteously revealed it to me in your Letter the which I both blushed and palled to peruse Neither is it any thankes to him that he missed of his desire in missing of you rather to your vertuous selfe which distasted his courting and complements for his owne sake and disdained him for mine Deare and sweet La Pratiere in that my brother hath won your Father I exceedingly grieve but in that I have not lost his Daughter I farre more triumph and rejoyce But why thinke I of losing you sith to call your constancie in question is no lesse then to prophane your affection and my judgement and so to make my selfe both uncapable and unworthy of you for how can my love to you retaine any spice or sparke of feare for that being banished your Fathers house I am yet so happy to recover so safe a Harbour and Sanctuary yea so precious a Temple as your heart In which regard it is every way fit that your requests should be to me commands for otherwise my Sword had already called me Coward if by this time I had not called my Brother to a strict and severe account for this his treachery I will still observe your Father with respect though he refuse to respect me with observance and for my ingratefull and treacherous Brother he may act his owne shame and affliction but cannot conduce to content or desire because that must soly proceed from your selfe sith in the sweet enjoying of you to my Wife consists the onely content of my life and the chiefest of all my earthly felicity VALFONTAINE Some two dayes after that La Pratiere was made joyfull with this answer of her Valfontaine shee hath againe sorrowfull newes of Quatbrissons arrivall to her Fathers house at Saint-Aignaw who had purposely given it out to his brother Valfontaine at Vannes that he rides to Hennbon He here renewes his late sute to the Father and Daughter but he finds them both in the same humours and resolutions he left them he willing and she coy hee desirous to have him his Sonne in law and she resolute never to make him but his brother Valfontaine her Husband He profereth her many rich gifts and presents and a blancke to write downe what Iointure she pleaseth to demand but she peremptorily refuseth it all and bids him bestow it on some other of whom it may find better acceptance yea I may safely say and truely affirme that their affections are farre more opposite and contrary then their sexes for the more he sees her he loves her and the oftner she beholds him the more she hates him so that when he apparantly perceives that she deeply vowes to her Father and himselfe onely to marry his brother Valfontaine or her Grave he seeing his labour for the time present lost and his affection to her in vaine having nothing left to comfort him against the repulse of this amorous sute but the constant friendship of her Father hee sorrowfully takes his leave of them and rides home to Vannes but as close as hee beares this his Iourney from his brother Valfontaine yet La Pratiere holds her selfe bound to signifie it to him the which the very next day she doth by her second Letter which speakes thus LA PRATIERE to VALFONTAINE I Hold it a part of my duty and affection to advertise you that these two dayes I have beene againe importunately haunted and solicited by your unkind Brother Quatbrisson for marriage but hee hath found my first answer to bee my second and last Yea I have so nipt his vaine hopes in their blossomes by signifying to him and my Father my infallible resolution either to wed you or my grave as I thinke except their hopes betray their judgements the one is assured and the other confident that time will make it apparant to the world that my words will prove deeds and that the last will make the first reall But if your said brother will yet notwithstanding farther exercise his folly in my patience and so make himselfe as ridiculous to mee as to you he is treacherous I out
by his lust as that was likewise by the Devill hee rides over to her Fathers house and alighting from his horse cals there for some wine but with his Hauke on his fist and his laquay and dogs at his heeles thereby the better to over-vaile and colour out his lascivious designe and inâ—…ent And that the Reader may the better and apparantly behold this countrey Virgin Marieta shee was aged of some sixteene yeares and towards her seventeenth tall and straight and rather a little endining to fatnesse then to leanesse her haire was of a bright flaxen colour and she of so fresh a beauty and sweet and delicate complexion that her eyes were capable to inflame desire and her cheeks to engender and exact affection so that as it was a wonder among many to find so delicate a Countrey-lasse it was also many wonders in one to see how sweetly her rich beauty graced her poore clothes whiles they though in vaine endeavour to disgrace it Quatbrisson no sooner sees Marieta but she is so faire and amiable in his eyes as they informe him that report comes infinitely short of her beauty when burning in the flames of his beastly concupiscence towards her his lust so exceedingly out braves his reason that his eyes and heart doe already doe homage to hers and he is so farre caught and insnared in the contemplation of her fresh youth and beauty as hee vowes to leave no art unattempted to obtaine his lustfull desires in enjoying of her virginity To which end hee very often and secretly visiteth her discovereth her his lewd desires and affection gives her Gloves Bonlace Lawne woorsted Stockings and the like trifles thereby the sooner to prevaile with her when God knowes this faire poore maiden was so chaste as yet shee knew not what belonged to unchastity such was her obscure dwelling and innocent education and yet behold the Devill was so busie with her and Quatbrisson with the Devill to draw and prostitute her to sinne as she was so farre in love with his gay clothes sugred speeches and faire promises rich gifts and especially because hee was a Gentleman that in a few weekes shee had hardly the power or will to deny him any thing no not her selfe But whiles thus Quatbrisson laies close siege to the chastity of the daughter her Mother Iane Chaumett being of a quicke wit and sharpe apprehension measuring his youth by her Daughters beauty begins to mistrust and feare that by his often visits he endeavored to put a rape on her vertue in seeking to inrich himselfe with the losse of her maiden-head the which to prevent she forbids him her house shewing him that she had rather dye then live to see her Daughter made a Strumpet adding farther that if hereupon he did not forbeare her house and her daughters company shee would forthwith acquaint his Father Monsieur de Caerstainge therewith alleadging that how close so ever hee bore himselfe shee knew him to be his Sonne and heire and termed Quatbrisson which crosse speeches of hers doe much afflict and perplexe him and the more because hee sees he cannot now approach Marieta and which is worst of all in regard he knowes not whom to employ towards her to win her to his desires But at length remembring that hee was well acquainted with an old Franciscan Frier of Auroy named Father Symplician who many yeares begged the Countrey for the repairing of their Monastery and with whom he had often caroused and beene merry He therefore holds him a fit Instrument and Agent for his purpose and so rides over to Auroy and sends for him to his lodging where giving him good cheere and well heating his head with wine he there from point to point discovereth this secret and laies open himselfe to him So this old Frier loving his cups better then his beads and Monsiâ—… de Quatbrisson better then his Guardian because hee had twice formerly expelled him the Monastery for some of his dishonest and debauched prancks hee freely engageth himselfe to him affirming that he well knew both Father Mother and Daughter having heretofore many times layen in their house when hee hath beene over taken either by night or raine Hypocrisie is the Devils Maske or Visard and there is no way so subtle or sinful to deceive as under the Cloake and Colour of Religion and therefore it is a most pernitious and odious shame to Christians that those who professe piety should prophane it This good fellow Frier Symplician taking the tide of time and the wind of opportunity under the pretext of visiting some of his kinsfolkes leaves Auroy repaires to Vannes and so to Malliots house in the countrey where purposely faigning himselfe sicke thereby to procure himselfe the better colour for his stay and the better meanes for the dispatch of this love busines for Monsieur Quatbrisson there Malliot and his wife Iane Chaumet out of their respect to Religion and reverence to Church-men entertaine him lovingly and attend him carefully and diligently thinking no cost too much nor any meat care or labour enough which they spent and bestowed on him But we shall see him requite this Hospitality and repay this courtesie of theirs with a base ingratitude For in the absence of the Father and Mother this deboshed Fryer teacheth their faire Daughter Marieta a new Catechisme hee tells her that Monsieur Quatbrisson is deeply in love with her that if shee will hearken to his Affection and so become flexible to his desires hee will shortly steale her away from her Parents and either maintaine her Gentlewoman-like in brave apparell or els marry her to some rich Serving-man or Farmers Sonne with whom she might live merrily and at her hearts content all the dayes of her life adding withall that it was pitty 〈◊〉 delicate fresh beauty should bee so strictly and obscurely mewed up in her Fathers poore Cottage and that it was a shame to her to prove an enemy to Nature who had beene so bountifull and so true a friend to her with many more obsceâ—… reasons and deboshed speeches looking that way the which in modesty I cannot remember without shame nor relate without detestation So this pandâ—…rising old Fryer degenerating from his habit profession and name what with the honey or rather indeed the poyson of his speeches and promises and the sugar of some gifts and tokens which he delivered her from Quâ—…brisson he drawes this harmlesse and innocent poore Countrey mayd so farre to forget her selfe her Parents and God that in hope of rich apparell and a good husband shee tells Father Symplician that she is wholly Quatbrissons aâ—… command and that for his sake and love she is absolutely resolved to forsake her Father and Mother and to goe away with him any night or day when he pleaseth to fetch her the which he shortly doth and shee accomplisheth And thus was the odious ingratitude of this Fryer Sympâ—…cian towards honest Malliot and his Wife for his good cheere lodging
more perverse and obstinate than his age so he will take no answer for an answer nor a refusall for a refuse from them but will or nill frequent their company daily and their house almost hourely they are all three tired with his sottish inâ—…illity and doting imâ—…ortunacy esâ—…ecially Dominicâ—… who measuring his age by her youth and knowing him to be farre â—…ter for his grave than a wife she therefore scornes him as much as he loves her but vet say shee what shee will or doe her Mother and Brother what they can yet they cannot free their house or shift their hands of him although they many times make him looke upon bare walles content himselfe to converse with the meanest of their Servants and so to returne without seeing either of Mother Sonne or Daughter But Dominica holding her beautie and yeares now to bee worthie of a husband shee is so incivill and incontinent as shee prayes her mother to procure and provide her one For to use her owne words shee saith shee is weary to lye alone and live single and fully resolved no longer either to triflle away her time or to cast away her youth and beautie Her Lady Mother in most vertuous tearmes checks her impudency blames her impudicity and concludes that if shee forsake those immodest humours and inclinations and so serve and feare God religiously then there is no doubt but in good time hee of his propitious favour and goodnesse towards her will provide her one when turning from her Daughter the verie teares of sorrow fall aboundantly from her old eyes to see her thus immodest thus irregular and wanton as doubting and fearing that in the end it will prove ominous and fatall to her But her lascivious Daughter Dominica is not contented with this generall answer of her Mother for shee is yet so vainly impudent and so vitiously imprudent as shee importunately prayes her brother Don Garcia effectually and speedily to solicite her Mother to provide her a husband whereat hee rather laughes than gives eare But when againe hee ruminates and considers with himselfe this her foolish levity and wantonnesse fearing the worst and to the end shee might not hereafter prove a disgrace to her selfe a scandall to their house and a dishonour to their blood hee taking time at advantage breakes and treates with his mother hereon who concurring in opinion with him returnes him rather her consent than her deniall the which hee reports to his immodest sister Dominica who is thereat as joyfull as before shee was discontented Not long after it fell out that Dominica with her Mother going on a great Holyday in the morning to the Church of the Benedictine Monkes and being behinde her on her knees to her Beades and Oraisons her devotion was so cold and her zeale so frozen towards God as seeing a very proper young Gentleman richly apparreled likewise there on his knees to his prayers not farre from her shee as a poore I may say as a prophane Christian beckons her mothers man to come to her and whispers him in the eare that he discreetly goe and enquire what that young Cavallier is whom she describes to him by his apparell and especially by a rich Diamond Ring which hee weares on his finger Her mothers man demanding of the Gentlemans servants returnes speedily to his young Lady and tells her in her eare that it is Don Roderigo Sonne and heire to Don Emmanuell de Cortez whereat her lustfull affection makes her heart leape and dance within her forjoy for so incivilly unchast is shee in her desires and wishes that at his very first sight shee desires him for her Husband before any other man of the world yea before any other earthly felicity Whereupon shee vowes that her Mother shall have no truce nor her Brother any peace of her before they powerfully make this motion of mariage for her to Don Roderigo who being often solicited and provoked by her importunate requests they consult hereon and both of them approve and desire it as holding it a match equally honourable to them both The Sonne will have his mother first to breake the ice of this motion to Don Roderigo but the mother will have her Sonne first to performe that office to him and so to take a faire occasion to invite him home to her house to speake with her the which Don Garcia performes and deales herein so effectually with Don Roderigo that home hee comes with him The Lady Cervantella after many complements and speeches presents this motion to him Hee sees the young Lady Dominica her daughter and finding her to bee exceeding faire and wittie hee likes and loves her and so takes time to advise hereon with his father for the Lady his Mother was formerly gone to heaven Roderigo breakes this motion to Don Emanuell his father who not pleased therewith seekes to divert his Sonne from it in regard he knowes that her Mother Dona Cervantella is very poore and of a weake estate as being much incumbred with the great depts of her deceased Husband Roderigo alleageth to his Father his true affection to the true beautie and vertues of Dominica and that her descent and blood is no way inferiour to his But his father being of an exceeding covetous disposition will have wealth to oversway beauty and not beauty wealth and so is resolute to heare no more of this motion whereat his sonne Roderigo bites the lippe and is much discontented Yet neverthelesse hee hath cast his affection so deepely and firmely on the fresh and delicate beauty of Dominica that holding it to bee the Gold of Nature and shee the Queene and Phoenix of Beauty hee cannot hee will not refraine but very often frequents Dona Cervantella's house and her daughters company To whom notwithstanding his Fathers distast of her hee yet gives farre more hope than dispaire that hee wil bee her Husband which ravisheth her with delight her Mother Dona Cervantella and her brother Don Garcia with content But the order of our History envites us for a while to leave Don Roderigo to feast his eyes and surfet his thoughts and contemplations on the Roses and Lillies of his Mistris beauty and againe to returne to speake of our old Dotard Hippolito Who now led by his lust and voluptuous desires as they are by the instigation of the Devill comes to performe and act a bloody and deplorable part on the stage of this History Hee sees with griefe and grieves to see that hee is refused of the Lady Dominica whom hee loves farre deerer and tenderer then his life and understanding that Don Roderigo de Cortez doth still frequent her company hath gained her affection and shall shortly marry her he thereupon turnes his reason into rage converts his judgement into revenge and so resolves to murther him by night as soone as hee findes him to issue forth of the Lady Cervantella's house the Devill making him strong in the vanity of this beliefe and confidence that
contrary The next day all Granado rings and resounds of this murther and of the suspition and imprisonment of Don Hippolito for the same when the Lady Cervantella goes to the Criminall Iudges of the City and accuseth him for the same and with griefe sorrow and passion followes it close against him and although Hippolito at his first examination denies it yet being by his cleeresighted Iudges adjudged to the racke for the same hee at the very first sight thereof confesseth it for the which bloody and lamentable crime of his hee is sentenced the next day to be hanged although hee proffered all his estate and meanes to save his life But the zeale and integrity of his judges was such to the sacred name of Iustice as they disdained to bee corrupted herewith So the next Morning this old bloody wretch Hippolito is brought to the common place of execution where a very great concourse of people repaire from all parts of the Citty to see him take his last farewell of the world most oâ—… them pittying his age but all condemning the enormity of this his foule and bloody crime He was dealt with by some Priests and Fryers in prison whose Charity and Piety endevoured to fortifie his heart against the feare of death and to prepare his soule for the life and joyes of that to come But the Devill was yet so strong with him that hee could not bee drawne to contrition nor would not bee either perswaded or enforced to repentance or to aske God or the world forgivenesse of this his bloody fact but as hee lived prophanely so hee would dye wretchedly and desperately for on the Ladder hee made a foolish speech the which because it savoured more of beastly concupiscence and lust than of Piety or Religion I will therefore burie it in oblivion and silence and so hee was turnedover Come we now to speake of Don Emanuell de Cortez the Father who understanding of his Sonne Roderigo his continuall frequenting of Dona Cervantella's house and her daughter Dominica's company and now hearing of this murther of her Sonne to her doore his owne Sonne being then therein present he is much discontented therewith and because he will sequester him from her sight and provide him another Wife hee sends him to Asnalos a mannor house of his some tenne leagues off in the Country with a strong injunction and charge there to reside till his farther order to returne Roderigo is wonderfull sorrowfull thus to leave the sight of his faire and deere Mistris Dominica and to the view of the world no lesse is shee so hee transporteth only his body to Asnallos but his heart he leaves with her in Granado But a moneth is scarce expired after his departure But the Lady Cervantella by the death of her Sonne Don Garcia wanting a man to conduct and governe her affaires especially her law sutes wherewith as wee have formerly heard she is much incumbred shee thereupon as also at the instant request of her Daughter writes Roderigo this letter for his returne CERVANTELLA to RODERIGO AS thou tenderest the prosperity of my affaires and the content and ioy of my Doughter I request thee speedily to leave Asnallos and to returne to reside heere in Granado for I wanting my Sonne Garcia who was the ioy of my life and shee her Roderigo who art the life of her joy thou must not finde it strange if my age and her youth and if my Law sutes and her love affections and desires assume this resolution Thy Father is a Noble man of Reason and his Sonne shall finde this to bee a request both 〈◊〉 and reasonable except thou wilt so farre publish thy weakenesse to the world thaâ—… thou doest more feare thy Father than love my Daughter for if thou shouldest once â—…mit thy obedience to him so farre to give a Law to thy affection to her thou wilt then make thy selfe as unworthy to bee her Husband as I desire it with zeale and shee with passion Shee is resolved to second this my letter with one of her owne to thee to which I referre thee God blesse thy stay and hasten thy returne CERVANTELLA Dominica resolving to make good her promise to her mother and that of her mother to Roderigo she withdrawes her selfe to her chamber to write and knowing her mothers messenger ready to depart chargeth him with the delivery of her letter to her lover Roderigo and to cast the better lustre and varnish over her affection she takes a Diamond Ring from her finger and likewise sends it him for a token of her love DOMINICA to RODERIGO AS the death of my Brother Don Garcia made 〈◊〉 extreame sorrowfull so thiâ—… of thy absence made mee infinitely miserable for as that nipt my joyes and hopes in their blossomes so this kills them in their riper age and 〈◊〉 When I 〈◊〉 received thy love and gave and returned thee mine in exchange I had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hadst affected me too dearly so soone to leave my sight and to â—…sh thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my company but now I see with griefe and feelewith sorrow that thâ—… lovest thy Fâ—…er farre bettter than â—…ee and delightest to preferre his content befâ—… 〈◊〉 for else thou hadst not made me thus wretched by thy absence who am as it were but entering into the happinesse of thy presence If thou canst finde in thy heart to obey his commands before thou grant my requests then come not to Granado but stay still in Asnallos but if the contrary then leave Asnallos and come to mee in Granado wâ—…ere I will chide thee for thy long stay and yet give thee a world of thankes and kisses for thy so soone returne and as my heart and soule doth desire it so the prosperity of my Mothers affaires doth likewise want and therefore crave it Iudge of the fervency of my affection to thee by thine to my selfe and then thou wilt speâ—…dily resolve to see thy Dominica who desires nothing so much under Heaven as to have the happinesse of thy sight and the felicity and Honour of thy Company DOMINICA Roderigo receives these their two Letters reputes that of the mother to much respect and this of her Daughter to infinite affection so as the very knowledg and consideration thereof makes him rejoyce in the first and triumph in the second and therefore knowing himselfe to be a man and past a child and that as he is bound by nature and reason to obey his farther so he is not tyed to bee commanded by him beyond it wherefore he resolves to give content to the mother for the daughters sake and to the daughter for his own saâ—…e and so by their own messenger returnes them these answers That to the Lady Cervantella spake thus RODERIGO to CERVANTELLA I So much tender the prosperity of thy affaires and thy daughters content and joy that my resolutions shall so dispose of my selfe towards my Father as verie shortly I will see thee with respect and observance and
owne pressing wants hee now seemes to affect and court a thousand times more familiarly and tenderly than before whereof shee is infinitly glad joyfull For having a long time loved him in her heart and mind and therefore desiring nothing so much under heaven as to see him her Husband here on earth and having to that end her secret eyes and spies every where abroad upon his life and actions she is at last advertised that there is some great distaste and difference fallen out betweene him and the Lady Vrsina as also that being farre from his home hee wanteth monyes to defray his Port and expences in Naples shee being of a sharp wit and deepe judgement thinkes that the last of his defects was the cause of the first and that peradventure Sanctifiore having attempted to borrow some money of her father Seignior Placedo and received the repulse hee therefore was fallen out and become displeased and discontented with his daughter And although her conceit and judgement missed of the truth herein yet the better to estrange Sanctifiore from Vrsina and consequently the more powerfully and strongly to unite and tye him to her selfe shee well knowing that her owne father De Tores exceedingly loved him and desired him for his sonne in law as much as shee did for her Husband shee therefore as much in love to him as in disdaine and malice to Vrsina doth under hand deale so politickly and yet so secretly with her Father to lend Sanctifiore some monyes that hee meeting him the very next day in his house hee takes him aside in his study and told him that in regard of his absence from Capua and his long stay and great expences here in Naples it was rather likely than impossible that hee might want some monyes and therefore hee freely lent and then and there laid him downe 500 double pistolls adding withall that if hee needed more hee should have what hee pleased and repay it him againe when hee pleased and that if hee would honour him so much as to marry his daughter hee would give him all the lands and wealth hee had This great courtesie of De Tores to the Baron of Sanctifiore hee held was redoubled to him in the value in that hee lent it to him so freely and undemanded as also for that it came so opportunely and fitly to pay his debts and satisfie his wants as after a long and respective complement betweene them Sanctifiores necessitie so easily prevailes with his modesty that hee most thankfully takes this gold of De Tores and likewise gives him more hope than despaire to his motion of marrying his daughter the Lady Bertranna wherewith the one rests well satisfied and the other exceeding well contented This point of courtesie being thus performed betweene them Sanctifiores joy thereof was so great I may say so boundlesse as he presently finds out his new Mistris Bertranna and with a frolick countenance and cheerfull voice relates her how much her father had obliged him and from point to point what had past betweene them and immediately after no lesse doth her father the musick of which newes was so pleasing to her mind and so sweet to her heart and thoughts that she hereupon flatters her selfe with a confident hope that hee will shortly marry her and in this hope doth hee still feed and entertaine her being seldome or never from her but ever and anon both together billing and kissing drowning his judgement so wholly in her company and his heart ranging and dreaming so fully on her youth and beauty and on her fathers great wealth and estate that hee hath not the grace no nor which is lesse the will or good nature once to thinke of his poore desolate and forsaken Vrsina of whom in her turne I come now to speake Wee have formerly understood with sorrow and our sorrowfull and unfortunate Vrsina hath to her griefe too too soone seene how unkindly Sanctifiore hath used and how basely and treacherously abused her in the points of her honour and his infidelity and yet all this notwithstanding her love and affection is still so deare and constant to him and her hopes so confident of him that all this discourtesie of his to her is only but to try her patience and that considering what familiarity hath past betweene them it is impossible for him to bee so cruell hearted towards her as in the end not to marry her She hath likewise acquainted him that she is with child by him and when all other reasons and persuasions faile shee hopes this will prevaile to reclaime his affection to her and to induce him to take pitty of her and compassion of his unborne babe within her But to resell and dissipate all these her flattering and deceitfull hopes and which is worse to make her lose all hopes of this her desired happines and good fortune from him his new contracted and incessant familiarity betweene him and the Lady Bertranna is not so privatly carried and hushed up in silence betweene them but shee hath secret and sorrowfull notice thereof which so inflames her mind with hot jelousie and likewise afflicts her heart with cold feare and apprehension that shee hath seduced and drawen his affection from her to himselfe as also that hee will utterly forsake her to marry Bertranna that shee fully beleeves that the wind of his discourteous absence from her proceedes from this point of the compasse Wherefore fearing that which shee already knowes but far more that which shee knowes not of this their familiarity betweene them all her hopes of Sanctifiore are almost vanished and banished and her heart is as it were wholly depressed and weighed downe with bitter griefe and sorrow thereof She dares acquaint no body with her disgrace much lesse her Father and her looking on her great belly doth but infinitely augment her sorrowes and increase her afflictions in regard that that which should have beene the cause of her joy and glory shee now knowes will shortly prove the argument of her shame and misery A thousand times a day yea I may truly say as many times an houre shee wisheth shee had beene more chaste and lesse faire and not so easily to have hearkned to Sanctifiores sugred oathes and temptations as to have lost her honour and fortunes in seeking to preserve them in her affeâ—…tion to him shee would faine draw comfort from all these â—…er calamities or from any one of them and yet shee knowes not from whom except from her Sanctifiore when presently shee checks her folly and reproves her ambition for tearming him hers when shee beleeves she hath far more cause to feare than reason to doubt that hee already is or shortly will bee Bertrannas husband And yet againe because the excesse of her sorrowes hath more eclipsed her joyes than her judgement and more dulled and obscured her heart than her understanding therefore judging it a master peece of her policy if shee can sequester and reclaime
a Ianuarie and such a May but disdaines to enter into consideration with himselfe that hee is every way fitter for his grave than for her bed and for death than marriage yea hee flatters himselfe so far in his affection to her as heehopes hee shall bee the joyfull father of many prettie children by her so that hee is so deeply enamoured with the sweet youth of our Bellinda and his heart so fast chained and intangled in the tresses of her haire and the lures of her alluring beautie that hee upon his first sight of her incessantly thinkes of her by day dreams of her by night and neither thinks nor dreams of any thing but of her and of his love to her so now he advanceth raiseth the standards of Venus and Cupid as high as ever he formerly dejected them and delights in nothing more yea Imay truly say in nothing els but in feasting his eyes and surfeting his heart upon the heavenly Idoea of her Angelicall â—…ace and feature hee thinkes so much of love as if he were now wholly composed of love and therefore purposely made to love Bellinda and none but Bellinda His hauks and hounds are now as far out of his mind as he is out of himselfe and no other delight or recreation whatsoever can take up any place in his heart or thoughts because love had already tane up all Hee revokes to mind how Macareâ—… was transformed into a bird for speaking against Venus and that it is not his cause alone to bee so deeply plunged tormented in love but that the greatest Captaines Philosophers and Kings of the world and as poets assirme the Gods themselves have beene subjected and vanquished with this passion and so constrained to make it their chiefest delight and glory to adorâ—…e the temples and altars of Cupid with the oblations of their sighes and the sacrifices of their teares Thus our De Mora being at the first sight wholly inflamed with love towards his faire and beautifull intended mistris Bellinda hee to seeme far younger than hee is hee is so vaine in his affection as contrary to his custome hee shaves his beard dights himselfe in an ash-collour sattin suit and cloake with a white Beaver hat a hat-band of Diamonds a rich plaine cut worke band and a paire of greene silke stockings with garters roses laced with silver sutable thereunto and so to performe his promise to Cursoro takes coach the next morning and rides over to him but not so much to tast of his good cheere as to feast his enamoured eyes on the dilicious rarities and dainties of his daughter Bellinda's beautie where he finds his entertainment and good cheere at least to equalize if not to exceed his birth rancke and expectation but this is not the end and object of his visit not the summe and period of his desires dinner being ended hee acquaints Cursoro with his affection to his daughter Bellinda and his suit to seeke and obtaine her for his wife Cursoro wonders that so great a Lord should desâ—…nd so low from himselfe to seeke so meane a young Gentlewoman as his daughter in marriage But finding De Mora to bee in earnest and not in jeast and understanding that his age was deeply passionatly enamoured of her youth and beautie hee therefore thankes him for that undeserved honour of his promiseth him his best assistance towards his daughter and gives him no dispaire but all hope and assurance that hee shall shortly obtaine and injoy her to his wife De Mora having thus wonne the affection and consent of the father hee now seeks that of the daughter hee takes her apart in his parlour where of an old man hee plaies the young oratour and lover and in sweet tearms and sugred phâ—…ses and speeches seeke to gaine her to his wife but Bellinda more considering De Mora his age than the greatnes of his nobilitie or estate shee bites the lip and hangs the head at this â—…s motion yea and seeâ—…s to be aâ—… 〈◊〉 as hee was forward in this his research and pursuit Hâ—…r father laiâ—…s his commands on her to embrace this match and no other hee conjures her now to confirme and not to cast away her good fortunes in marrying this great Nobleman and vowes that hee will for ever renounce her for his daâ—…ghter if shee disobey him herein so hee conducts her into the arbour of his garden and there freely and couâ—…eously againe gives De Mora the opportunitie and benefit to speake with her and the desired happines to kisse her but Bellinda is as much perplexed in mind as they are obstinate in their motion â—…owards her when composing her countenance rather to sorrow than joy and to mourning than mirâ—…h she makes a modest excuse to her father gives no absolute or peâ—… pâ—…ie deniall to De Mora but fairly and discreetly â—…aves of both of them a moneths time of respiâ—…e to resolve on thâ—…s great busines which shee saies so much imports her happines or her misery her content oâ—…her affliction which answer and request of hers both her father and De Mora finding so full of discretion and reason they severally grant and jointly consent to give her but in all this interim such was De Mora's deare and tender affection to Bellinda that hee visits her many times in person and verie often with his rich gifts and presents as holding it no irregular way but a pertinent and prevalent course first to make a breach in a young Ladies mind and affection and then to enter and take possession both of her body and of her selfe But before I proceed further in the narration and progresse of this history I must here unlocke and reveale a secret mystery to the reader of no small consequence and importance for he must understand that our Bellinda is not so chaste as faire nor so honest as her education youth beautie presuppose and promise her to bee for her mother being dead and her father giving her too much libertie and too little vertuous counsell and exhortation shee for two whole yeares hath beene in love with a poore yet with a verie proper and resolute young Gentleman of some twentie five yeares of age being a neighbour of her fathers named Don Fernando Palura who being deeply enamoured of her had laine so close so constant and so strong a siege to her chastitie as not to conceale the truth first unknowne to her father then to De Mora and next to all the world hee had unparadised her of her maiden-head and under colour and hope of marriage had verie often tane his lustfull use and pleasure of her body but his means being verie small and her belly not growing great shee was not yet fully resolved but therefore still delaied to marrie him true it is that her father Cursoro was formerly acquainted with Palura's affection and desire to marry his daughter but as heretofore his poverty made him reject him for his sonne in law so
Pag. 360 De Laurier to Du Pont. Pag. 377 Hippolito to Roderigo Pag. 392 Roderigo to Hippolito Pag. 393 Cervantella to Roderigo Pag. 395 Dominica to Roderigo ibid. Roderigo to Cervantella Pag. 396 Roderigo to Dominica ibid. Cervantella to Roderigo Pag. 398 Sanctifiore to Ursina Pag. 411 Ursina to Sanctifiore ibid. Sanctifiore to Ursina ibid. Ursina to Sanctifiore Pag. 412 Ursina to Sanctifiore Pag. 419 Placedo to Ursina Pag. 424 Bellinda to Palura Pag. 446 Palura to Bellinda Pag. 447 A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS of all the HISTORIES Contained in the whole Sixe BOOKES The Contents of the First Booke HISTORIE I. HAutefelia causeth La Fresnay an Apothecary to poyson her Brother Grand Pre and his Wife Mermanda and is likewise the cause that her sayd Brother kills de Malleray her owne Husband in a Duell La Fresnay condemned to be hanged for a Rape on the Ladder confesseth his two former Murthers and sayes that Hautefelia seduced and hired him to performe them Hautefelia is likewise apprehended And so for these cruell Murthers they are both put to severe and cruell Deaths pag. 1. HIST. II. Pisani betrayeth Gasparino of his Mistrisse Christeneta Gasparino challengeth Pisani for this Disgrace and kills him in the Field He after continueth his Sute to Christeneta She dissembles her Malice for Pisani his Death She appoynts Gasparino to meet her in a Garden and there causeth Bianco and Brindoli to murther him They are all three taken and executed for the same pag. 16. HIST. III. Mortaigne under promise of Marriage gets Iosselina with child and after converting his love into hatred causeth his Lackey La Verdure and La Palma to murther both her and her young sonne The Iealousie of Iâ—…ella to her Husband La Palma is the cause of the Discovery hereof They are all three taken and executed for the same pag. 31. HIST. IV. Beatrice-Ioana to marry Alsemero causeth de Flores to murther Alonso Piracquo who was a suter to her Alsemero marries her and finding de Flores and her in Adultery kils them both Tomaso Piracquo challengeth Alsemero for his Brothers death Alsemero kils him treacherously in the field and is beheaded for the same and his body throwne into the Sea At his execution he confesseth that his wife and de Flores murthered Alonso Piracquo their bodies are taken up out of their graves then burne and their ashes throwne into the ayre pag. 45. HIST. V. Alibius murthereth his wife Merilla hee is discovered first by Bernardo then by Emelia his owne Daughter so hee is apprehended and hanged for the fact pag. 65. The Contents of the Second Booke HIST. VI. Victoryna causeth Sypontus to stabbe and murther her first Husband Souranza and she her selfe poysoneth Fassino her second so they both being miraculously desected and convicted of these their cruell murthers he is beheaded and she hang'd and burnt for the same pag. 87. HIST. VII Catalina causeth her waiting-maid Ansilva two severall times to attempt to poyson her owne Sister Berinthia wherein fayling shee afterwards makes an Empericke termed Sarmiata poyson her said Maid Ansilva Catalina is killed with a Thunder-bolt and Sarmiata hanged for poysoning Ansilva Antonio steales Berinthia away by her owne consent whereupon her brother Sebastiano fights with Antonio and kils him in a Duell Berinthia in revenge hereof afterwards murthereth her brother Sebastiano shee is adjudged to bee immured 'twixt two walls and there languisheth and dies pag. 105. HIST. VIII Bellvile treacherously murthereth Poligny in the street Laurieta Poligny's Mistris betrayeth Bellvile to her Chamber and there in revenge shoots him thorow the body with a Pistoll when assisted by her Waiting-maid Lucilla they likewise give him many wounds with a Poniard and so murther him Lucilla flying for this fact is drowned in a Lake and Laurieta is taken and hanged and burnt for the same pag. 127. HIST. IX Iacomo de Castelnovo lustfully falls in love with his daughter in Law Perina his owne sonne Francisco de Castelnovo's wife whom to enjoy hee causeth Ierantha first to poyson his owne Lady Fidelia and then his said sonne Francisco de Castelnovo in revenge whereof Perina treacherously murthereth him in his bed Ierantha ready to dye in travell of child confesseth her two murthers for the which she is hanged and burnt Perina hath her right hand cut off and is condemned to perpetuall imprisonment where she sorrowfully dies pag. 147. HIST. X. Bertolini seekes Paulina in marriage but shee loves Sturio and not himselfe hee prayes her Brother Brellati his deare friend to sollicit her for him which he doth but cannot prevaile whereupon Bertolini lets fall some disgracefull speeches both against her honour and his reputation for which Brellati challengeth the field of him where Bertolini kills him and he flies for the same Sturio seekes to marry her but his Father will not consent thereunto and conveyes him away secretly for which two disasters Paulina dies for sorrow Sturio finds out Bertolini and sends him a challenge and having him at his mercy gives him his life at his request he afterwards very treacherously kils Sturio with a Petronell in the street from a window he is taken for this second murther his two hands cut off then beheaded and his body throwne into the River pag. 167. The Contents of the third Booke HIST. XI De Salez killeth Vaumartin in a Duell La Hay causeth Michaelle to poyson La Frange De Salez loves La Hay and because his Father Argentier will not consent that he marry her stifleth him in his bed and then takes her to his wife shee turnes Strumpet and cuts his throat as he is dying he accuseth her of this bloody fact and himselfe for murthering his father Argentier so his dead body is hang'd to the gallows then burnt La Hay confesseth this murther and likewise that she caused Michaelle to poyson La Frange she hath her right hand cut off and is then burnt alive Michaelle is broken on the wheele and his dead body throwne into the River pag. 187. HIST. XII Albemare causeth Pedro and Leonardo to murther Baretano and he after marrieth Clara whom Baretano first sought to marry Hee causeth his man Valerio to poyson Pedro in prison and by a letter which Leonardo sent him Clara perceives that her husband Albemare had hired and caused Pedro and Leonardo to murther her first love Baretano which letter she reveales to the Iudge so he is hanged and likewise Valerio and Leonardo for these their bloody crimes pag. 213. HIST. XIII La Vasselay poysoneth her Waiting-maid Gratiana because she is jealous that her husband De Merson is dishonest with her whereupon he lives from her In revenge whereof she causeth his man La Villete to murther him in a Wood and then marries him in requitall The said La Villete a yeare after riding thorow the same Wood his Horse falls with him and almost kils him when hee confesseth the murther of his master De Merson and accuseth his wife La Vasselay to bee the
unkind father I may well tearme my selfe unfortunate sith I no sooner lost mine honour but my father who for his displeasure of my shame and folly gave all his meanes from me which before right and nature had promised mee and I may justly terme your sonne Mortaigne unkind sith hee not onely refuseth to marry mee but also to allow maintenance either for my selfe or his child It is therefore to you wanting and despairing of all other meanes friends and hopes that with many blushes and teares I presume to acquaint you with the poverty of my fortune and the richnesse of my misery the which I humbly request you both to pitie and relieve at least if you will not that your sonne may who is the cause thereof my love to him hath not deserved your hatred to me and therefore in excusing my folly or rather if you please my youth I hope you will be so charitable to the poore babe my son that I shall not want for his sake nor he for his fathers or if yot will frowne and not smile on mee but rather triumph to see me languish and faint under the burthen of my poverty yet vouchsafe to excuse his innocency though you condemne mine errour and so if I must dye miserably at least let mee carry this one content to my grave that I may bee sure hee shall live happy Nature cannot deny this Charity and Grace will not excuse that cruelty IOSSELINA Whiles Iosselina flatters her selfe with hope that these Letters will procure her her desire and comfort Mortaigne and Calintha his mother receive them As for Mortaigne hee like a base Gentleman whose curtesy was now turned into inhumanity as much triumpheth in his owne sinne as rejoyceth in Iosselina's foolish ambition and poverty It is a felicity to him to thinke that hee hath abused her youth and betrayed her chastity and therefore hee now respecteth her so little or rather dis-respecteth her so much as her shame is his glory her misery his happinesse and her affliction his content yea hee no more thinks of her but with disdaine and envy for the beauty Varina hath quite defaced and blotted out that of Iosselina neither doth this cruelty of Mortaigne end in her but it beginnes in the pretty babe his sonne for he so farre degenerateth from the lawes and principles of Nature as hee not onely hates the Mother for the childes sake but the child for his mothers sake yea hee is so farre from giving either of them maintenance or both content as hee scornes the Mother and will no way either owne or relieve the child and so burning his Letter and forgetting the contents thereof hee very ingratefully and cruelly resolves to answer it with silence and this is the best comfort which Iosselina and the poore young babe her sonne receive from Mortaigne But I feare the worst is to come If Iosselina and her babe receive such dis-respect and inhumanity from Mortaigne it is to bee feared and doubted that they will meet with little better from his Mother Calintha who no sooner received and read her letter but full of wrath and indignation shee in disdaine throwes it away from her yea her discontent and malice is so inflamed against Iosselina and her child as fearing it may prove a blurre and blocke to Mortaigne's marriage with Varina shee not onely refuseth to relieve them but is so cruell and inhumane as shee wisheth them both in another World as unworthy to live in this but her choller is too passionate and her passions too unaturall and cruell for if shee would not relieve Iosselina whom her sonne Mortaigne had abused yet in pitty yea in nature shee should have taken order for the maintenance of the child whom her sonne had begotten for if the Mother had deserved her hatred yet this poore babe was innocent thereof and rather merited her compassion then her envy or at least if there had beene any sparke of humanity grace or good nature in her if shee would not have beene seene courteous and harbarous to them her selfe yet shee might dispence with her sonne and winke if hee had performed it But nothing lesse for her malice is so great and her rage so outragious and unreasonable as shee refuseth it her selfe and commands him to the contrary so as being once resolute not to cast away so much time to returne Iosselina an answer shee at last in a humour wherein disdaine triumphed over pitty and inhumanity over charity calls for pen and paper and returnes her this bitter and cruell answer CALINTHA to IOSSELINA HAving beene so gracelesse to abuse my sonne I wonder how thou darest be so impudent as to offend mee with thy Letter the which I had once thought rather to have burnt then read but I finde it not strange that being defective of thy body thou art so of thy iudgement to thinke that sith thine owne father gave all from thee that I who am a meere stranger to thee as I wish thou hadst beene to my sonne should afford or give thee any thing neither doth this resolution of mine proceed from contempt but charity for as thou art a woman I pitty thee but as a strumpet hold it no pity to relieve thee Now then despairing of any hope for thy selfe thou pleadest for thy brat but sith he is the object of thy shame as thou art that of my sonne and withall the cause why should I looke on the child with compassion sith I neither can nor will see the mother but with disdaine and envy Thou complainest of thy misfortune and misery without considering that the Starres and Horoscope of thy base birth never pointed thee out for so high an estate as of a clownes daughter to become a Gentlemans wife but thou must adde ambition to thy dishonesty as if one of these two Vices were not enough powerfull to make thee miserable Thou doest likewise taxe my sonne of unkindnesse towards thee without considering that hiâ—… love to thee hath beene cruelty to himselfe for as thou art like to buy his familiarity with teares so for ought I know may hee thine with repentance if thou expect any comfort thou must hopâ—… for no other then this that as my sonne disdaines to marry thee so doe I that either my selfe 〈◊〉 he relieve thee looke then on thy selfe with shame on thy child with repentance whiles my sonne and I will remember yee both with contempt but neither with pitty CALINTHA Poore Iosselina having received and perused Calintha's Letter and seeing withall Mortaigne so in humane as hee disdaines to write to her for meere griefe and sorrow shee with her Babe at her brest falls to the ground in a swoone and had not the noyse thereof advertised those in the next roome to come to her assistance shee had then and there ended her misery with her life and not afterwards lived to see and indure so many sharpe afflictions and lamentable wants and misfortunes Alas Alas she hath
indeed was falne out in plaine tearmes give Mortaigne the refusall who galled to the heart herewith doth now hang downe his head and see his former bloudy errours and crimes but it is two late for the Lord hath bent his bow and his Arrow is ready to Revenge them La Palma understanding of Mortaigne's arrivall from La Palisse thinkes it high time for him to leave Durency and to returne home to Villepont to his wife Isabella who being an old woman and hee a young man was not onely impatient but jealous of his long stay which was well neere five weekes and the rather for that hee departed as shee thought in company of Iosselina who because shee was young and faire shee vehemently suspected hee had since entertained and stayed with But this jealousie of hers God makes his instrument to discover this execrable Murther For La Palma comming home his wife Isabella as we have heard being incensed with anger and inflamed with jealousie gives him this bitter entertainement and welcome La Palma quoth shee you were very unkind so soone to forsake your Whore Iosselina La Palma being pierced to the quicke with this bitter speech of his wife like a lewde fellow gave her first the lye and then termed her whore in speaking it She hath fire in her lookes and hee thunder in his speeches So after many bitter and scandalous injuries banded one to the other shee addes rage to her words and hee a boxe on the eare to his choller where with he fell'd her as dead to the ground yea the servants and all that beheld it crye out amaine as if her soule had already taken her last farewell of her body At this tumult the neighbours assemble and deeming Isabella dead they lay hands on La Palma her husband and carry him before the Procurer Fiscall of La Palisse who was then in their Village of Villepont who without further examination commits him to prison and so goes in person to visit Isabella who by this time is a little recovered but not freed from the danger of death She relates him all that had past betwixt her husband and her selfe as also of his departure with Iosselina and of his long stay in Durency adding withall that he hath heretofore many times beaten her and now she hopes that this blow will not goe unpunished yea her rage or rather Gods providence carries her so fatre as she constantly averres to the Magistrate that if Iosselina be not her husbands strumpet shee constantly beleeves hee is her Murtherer and to conclude saith that her servantmayd Iaqueta can say more Iaqueta examined saith that the night before her Masters departure for Durency hee was at mid-night in Iosselina's Chamber together with one La Verdure a Lackey and that since Iosselina was neither seene nor heard of and being farther demanded if she knew whose Lackey La Verdure was shee answered he was Mounsieur Mortaignes Lackey who was sonne to Mounsieur de Coucy The Procurer Fiscall confidering their severall depositions doth shrewdly suspect there is more in the winde then is yet discovered he leaves Isabella and goes to her husband in prison and after hee had sharpely checked him for beating his wife he inquires and chargeth him with these two poynts First why hee and La Verdure were in Iosselina's Chamber at midnight and secondly what was become of her sith since that time shee hath neither beene seene nor heard of La Palma is terrifyed and amazed with these demands and farre the more because he least expected them the which apparently appeared in the alteration of his colour and complexion which commonly bewrayes an inward perturbation of the mind and heart He answereth not punctually to those poynts demanded of him but runnes on with many bitter invectives against the rage and jealousy of his wife and then being by the Procurer bid answer to those two poynts hee formerly demanded of him hee after many frivolous and extravagant speeches denyes that either hee or La Verdure were in Iosselina's Chamber and that hee neither saw her departure nor knew what was become of her and withall prayes the Proeurer Fiscall to free and release him of his imprisonment but he shall not escape at so cheape a rate For the Procurer being very familiar with Mounsieur de Vassye his Colleague and fellow-Iudge of La Palisse remembred that hee had formerly heard him speake of this Mounsieur Mortaigne who lately sought his daughter La Varina in marriage as also of his entertaining and rejecting this Iosselina a Farmers daughter of Durency by whom he had a base sonne and now considering that at such an unseasonable houre his Lackey La Verdure should be in her Chamber in La Palma's house and La Palma himselfe in his company and shee never since seene or heard of hee thinkes there is some fire hid and covered in these embers and that there is some deeper mystery in this businesse which as yet was not revealed Wherefore like a wise Magistrate he holds it fit the same night to send La Palma privately to La Palisse as also his wife Isabella and Iaqueta for witnesses and rides thither himselfe to sit upon his processe with whom the Lievtennant of that jurisdiction joyned but for Mounsieur de Vassye the Seneschall hee for the regard hee bore to Mortaigne because hee vehemently suspected he had a deepe and chiefe hand in this businesse would not bee present but purposely absented himselfe at a house of his in the Countrey the next morne La Palma is examined as also the two witnesses and Iaqueta is confronted with him who stands firme to her former disposition But hee slatly denyes all The Procurer and the Lievtennant adjudge him to the Racke Hee indureth the first torment but at the second confesseth that he and La Verdure had stifled and murthered Iosselina in her bed in his owne house and had buried her in his Garden and that they were set a worke and hyred to doe it by Mounsieur Mortaigne who gave them two hundred Frankes to effect it Loe here by the mercy and providence of God La Palma's malice to his wife Isabella and her jealousy to him hath discovered and brought to light this cruell and bloudy Murther which was so secretly contrived and so cunningly and devillishly acted upon the body of Iosselina But hers being discovered let us likewise see how that of her harmelesse and innocent Babe is likewise brought to light The two Iudges themselves ride all night to Villepont they search the Garden and find the dead body of Iosselina having no other Winding-sheet but her owne smocke They send away the Provost to apprehend Mortaigne and his Lackey for this Murther who meets La Verdure by the way and seizes Mortaigne in his bed They are severally brought to La Palisse and first La Verdure is confronted with La Palma who denyes all but they present his feet to the fire and then he confesseth not onely the Muâ—…ther of
to a greater honour nor desire a sweeter felicity And so recommending this my imperfect Pamphlet to your favour my unworthy selfe to your pardon and your Honour your Noble Countesse and the sweet young Lady your Daughter to Gods best favours and mercies I will assume the confidence and constancie to remaine Your Honours in all humility and service IOHN REYNOLDS THE GROVNDS AND CONTENTS OF these HISTORIES HISTORIE VI. Victorina causeth Sypontus to stabbe and murther her first Husband Souranza and shee her selfe poysoneth Fassino her second so they both being miraculously detected and convicted of these their cruell Murthers hee is beheaded and shee hang'd and burnt for the same HISTORIE VII Catalina causeth her Wayting Mayd Ausilva two severall times attempt to poyson her owne Sister Berinthia wherein fayling shee afterwards makes an Empericke termed Sarmiata poyson her said Mayd Ansilva Catalina is killed with a Thunder bolt and Sarmiata hang'd for poysoning Ansilva Antonio steales Berinthia away by her owne consent whereupon her Brother Sebastiano fights with Antonio and kills him in a Duell Berinthia in revenge hereof afterwards murthereth her Brother Sebastiano she is adjudged to be immured betwixt two Walls and there languisheth and dyes HISTORIE VIII Belluile treacherously murthereth Poligny in the street Laurieta Poligny's Mistris betrayeth Belluile to her Chamber and there in revenge shoots him thorow the body with ae Pistoll when assisted by her Wayting-Mayd Lucilla they likewise give him many wounds with a Ponyard and so murther him Lucilla flying for this fact is drowned in a Lake and Laurieta is taken and hang'd and burnt for the same HISTORIE IX Iacomo de Castelnovo lustfully falls in love with his daughter in law Perina his owne sonne Francisco de Castelnovo's Wife whom to injoy he causeth Ierantha first to poyson his owne Lady Fidelia and then his said sonne Francisco de Castelnovo in revenge whereof Perina treacherously murthereth him in his bed Ierantha ready to dye in travell of child confesseth her two Murthers for the which she is hang'd and burnt Perina hath her right hand cut off and is condemned to perpetuall imprisonment where she sorrowfully dyes HISTORIE X. Bertolini seekes Paulina in marriage but she loves Sturio and not himselfe hee prayes her Brother Brellati his deare friend to sollicite her for him which he doth but cannot prevaile whereupon Bertolini lets fall some disgracefull speeches both against her honour and his reputation for which Brellati challengeth the Field of him where Bertolini kills him and hee flies for the same Sturio seekes to marry her but his father will not consent there â—…nto and conveyes him away secretly for which two disasters Paulina dyes for sorrow Sturio findes out Bertolini and sends him a Challenge and having him at his mercie gives him his life at his request hee afterwards very treacherously kills Sturio with a Petroneâ—… in the Street from a Window he is taken for this second Murther his two hands cut off theâ—… beheaded and his body throwne into the River THE TRIVMPHS OF GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXECRABLE sinne of Murther HISTORIE VI. Victorina causeth Sypontus to stabbe and murther her first Husband Souranza and shee her selfe poysoneth Fassino her second so they both being miraculously detected and convicted of these their cruell Murthers hee is beheaded and shee hang'd and burnt for the same WHere Lust takes up our desires and Revenge and Murther seizeth on our resolutions it is the true way to make us wretched in this life and our soules miserable in that to come for if Chastity and Charity the two precious Vertues and ornaments of a Christian steere not our actions on Earth how shall nay how can we hope to arrive to the harbour of Heaven or if wee aband on these celestiall Vertues to follow and imbrace those infernall Vices what doe wee but take our selves from felicity to misery and consequently give our selves from God to Satan But did wee seriously and not trivially consider that there is a Heaven to reward the Righteous and a hell to punish the ungodly wee would neither defile our hearts nor pollute our soules with the thought much lesse with the action of such beastly and inhumane crimes but in this sinnefull age of ours the number is but too great of lascivious and impious Christians who delight in the affection and practice thereof among whom I here represent the History of an execrable Gentlewoman and her wretched and unfortunate Lover who were both borne to honour and not to infamy had they had as much grace to secure their lives as vanity and impiety to ruine them The History is bloudy and therefore mournefull but if we detest their crimes we need not feare their punishments for God is as gracious and propitious to protect the innocent as just and severe to chastise the guilty IN Italy the beauty of Europe and in the City of Venice the glory of Italy the Nymph of the Sea and the pearle and diamond of the world in the latter yeares of the raigne of noble Leonardo Donato who as Duke sate to the helme of that potent and powerfull Estate so famous for banishing the Iesuits and for opposing himself against the intrusion and fulminations of Pope Paulus Quintus in the just defence and maintenance of the prerogatives and priviledges of the Seignory There was at that time a gentleman a younger brother yet of well neere fifty yeares old of the noble Fa mily of the Beraldi named Signior Iacomo Beraldi who dwelt above the Rialto Bridge that famous Master piece of Architecture upon the Canalla Grando who in the Aprill of his youth tooke to Wife the Dona Lucia daughter to Seignior Lorenzo Bursso a Gentleman of Padua by whom hee had seven Children foure Sonnes and three Daughters so as his Wife and he esteeming themselves happy in their Issue past away their time in much content and felicity but God for some secret and sacred reasons to his Divine Majesty best knowne converting his smiles into frownes within the space of seven yeares takes away sixe of their Children so as their eldest daughter onely remained living being a young Gentlewoman of some eighteene yeares old named Dona Victoryna This young Gentlewoman being noble rich and faire three powerfull and attractive Adamants to draw the affections of many Cavaliers according to her desert had divers Gallants who sought her in Marriage but she was of nature proud chollericke disdainfull and malicious Vices enow to ruine both a beauty and a fortune but of all her sutors and servants he whom she best loved and affected was one Seignior Sypontus a Gentleman of the City who was more noble then rich and yet more debosht and vicious then noble but otherwise a very proper young Gallant but the perfections of the body are nothing to bee compared to the excellent qualities and indowments of the minde for those are but the varnishes and shaddowes of a meete men but these the perfections and excellencies of a
conduct her to the end of the street and Diego following them with the Casket where they all privatly and silently take Coach and having opened the Citie gate with a silver key away they speed for Eluas with all possible celerity but I write with griefe that as these affections of Antonio and Berinthia begin in joy so I feare they will end in as much sorrow and misery Leave we them now in their journey for Eluas and returne we to Avero to bloudy Catalina and wretched Ansilva who lying remote from Berinthia's Chamber could not possibly heare so much as the least step of her descent and departure although their malice were so extreame as to write the truth they all that night could not sleepe for joy that Berinthia was dispatched so they prepare themselves against the morne to heare some pittifull out-cries in the house for Berinthia's death but seeing it neere ten of the clocke and no rumour nor stirre heard they both as they were accustomed went into her Chamber thinking to feast their eies upon the lamentable object of this breathlesse Gentlewoman but contrary to their bloudy hopes they finde the nest I meane the bed emptie and Berinthia not dead but escaped and flowne away Onely Catalina in stead of her Sister findes her owne Parrot dead on the table they are astonished at this newes and looke fearefully and desperately each on other Ansilva for her part protests and vowes that shee saw Berinthia drinke the poyson But finding Berinthia's small trunke wanting and hearing Diego gone then Catalina knowes for certaine that shee was escaped and her poysoning plot detected and prevented So they give the alarum in the house and shee goes directly and acquaints her Father Mother and Brother of her Sister Berinthia's flight but speakes not a word of the poyson or of the Parrots death Vilarezo grieves to see himselfe robbed of his daughter and Sebastiano of his Sister but when they understand that Diego was gone with her then they are confidently assured that Antonio hath carried her away which is confirmed them by the Porter of the Citie who told them that 'twixt twelve and one a Coach with a Lady and foure Cavaliers and a Page drawne by sixe horses past the gate very speedily Vilarezo and his sonne Sebastiano storme at this affront and disgrace they consult what to doe herein so first they resolve to send one to Elvas to know yea or no whether Berinthia bee there with Antonio The messenger sent returnes and assures them thereof as also that Antonio is retyred from Elvas to a Castle of his without the walls of the Citie where it is reported hee keepes the Lady Berinthia with much honour and respect Had old Vilarezo had his health and strength he would himselfe in person haue undertaken this journey but being sicke of the Gowt he sends his sonne Sebastiano to Elvas accompanied with six resolute Gentlemen his neere allies and friends to draw reason of Antonio for this affront and disgrace and so either by Law Force Policie or perswasion to bring backe Berinthia Sebastiano knowing Berinthia to bee his Sister and Antonio his former ancient and intimate friend with a kind of unwilling willingnesse accepts of this journey he comes to Elvas and findes his former intelligence true hee repayres to Antonio's Castle accompanied with his sixe associates Antonio admits them all into the first Court and onely two more of them into the second where hee salutes them kindly and bids them all welcome to his Castle Sebastiano layes before him the foulenesse of his fact in stealing away his Sister in that clandestine and base manner the scandall which hee hath layd upon her and consequently on all their family and blood tells him that his father and himselfe are resolued to have her againe at what price soever and therefore conjures him by the respect of his owne honour and by the consideration and remembrance of all their former friendship to deliver him his Sister Berinthia Antonio answereth Sebastiano that it was an honourable affection and no base respect which led him to assist his Sister Berinthia in her flight and escape that he never was nor would bee a just scandall either to her her family or blood that his malicious Sister Catalina was the authour and cause thereof who by her wayting Gentlewoman Ansilva had twice sought to poyson her and therefore sith he could not deliver her with her owne safetie and his honour and conscience hee was resolved to protect her in his Castle against any whosoever that should seeke either to enforce or offend her Sebastiano is perplexed at this strange newes and wondereth at Antonio's resolution so doe the two Gentlemen with him hee desires Antonio that hee may see and speake with his Sister Berinthia the which hee freely and honourably grants and so taking him by the hand they enter the Hall where Berinthia having notice hereof accompanied with two of Antonio his Sisters assoone comes and with a cheerefull countenance advanceth towards her Brother hee salutes her and shee first him then the other two Gentlemen her Cousins Sebastiano prayes Antonio that hee may conferre apart with his Sister Antonio replies that his Sister Berinthia's pleasure shall ever bee his Shee willingly consents hereeunto when hee taking her by the hand conducts her to the farthest window and there shewes her her disobedience to her Father her dishonour to her selfe and griefe to her friends for this her unadvised and rash flight and so perswades her to returne and that if shee intend to marry Antonio this is not the way but rather a course as irregular as shamefull His Sister Berithia delivers him at full the cause of her departure and very constantly confirmes what Anâ—… had formerly told him of her Sister Catalina's two severall attempts to poyson her by her wayting Gentlewoman Ansilva though with more ample circumstance and dilation and to testifie the truth Diego is produced who vowes and protests the same Sebastiano checkes her of folly and crueltie shewes her that in seeking to wrong others shee onely wrongs her selfe that in inventing and casting a feigned crime on her Sister Catalina shee makes her owne conspicuous and true that she hath no safetie but in her returne whereunto with many reasons hee seekes to perswade and induce her His Sister Berinthia againe answereth him that there is no safetie for her in Avero and that she cannot expect greater then shee finds in Elvas shee prayes him to thinke charitably and honourably of her departure and if ever her Father will love her shee requests him not to hate but to love Antonio whose Castle shee finds a Sanctuary both for her honour and life taking God and his Angels her conscience and soule to witnesse that her Sister Catalina's crime is true and not feigned Sebastiano seeing Antonio resolute and his Sister wilfull and obstinate begins to take leave telling her that hee will leave her to her folly that to her shame and her
shame to her repentance and so concludes to goe into the Citie to resolve on what hee hath to doe for her good and his owne honour Antonio prayes him to dine in his Castle with his Sister but hee refuseth it saith hee hath given the first breach to their friendship and his owne honour which hee shall repent if not repaire and so departs Being come into the Citie hee consults this businesse with the Gentlemen his associats and both himselfe and they are of opinion to send one poast to acquaint his Father herewith and so to crave his pleasure and resolution how hee shall beare himselfe heerein It is ever an excellent poynt both of wisedome and discretion for a sonne to steere his actions by the compasse of his Fathers commands His cousin Villandras undertakes this journey to Avero Old Vilarezo is perplexed and grieved at this report and in stead of comfort receives more affliction his care curiositie passion and griefe severally examineth first Catalina then Ansilva who like theeves in a faire or murtherers in a Forrest hee findes equally constant in their deniall being so devoyd of grace and repleat of impietie as they confirme and maintaine their innocencies with many bitter oathes and asseverations so hee returnes Villandras to Elvas with this Letter to his sonne Sebastiano VILAREZO to SEBASTIANO I Commend thy wisedome as much as I dispraise Antonio's resolution and grieve at thy Sister Berinthia's folly and disobedience I have carefully and curiously examined the two parties whom I finde as innocent as constant in the true deniall of their falsely objected crimes I have consulted with Nature and Honour how heerein I might bee directed by them and consequently thou by mee so they suggest mee this advice and I advise thee this resolution either by the Law of the kingdome or by that of thy sword with expedition to returne mee my Daughter thy Sister Berinthia and let not the Oratorie either of Antonio's tongue or her teares perswade thee to the contrary for then as shee is guiltie of our dishonours so wee shall bee accessary to hers Let me understand the proceeding heerein and according as occasion shall present if my sicknesse and weaknesse will not leave mee I notwithstanding will leave Avero to see Elvas VILAREZO Whiles Sebastiano is consulting how to free his Sister Berinthia from the power of Antonio speake wee a little of Catalina who as skilfull in subtiltie as malice seeing her treachery and bloodie intents revealed thinkes it now high time to make away and poyson Ansilva grounding her resolution on this maxime both of policie and estate That dead folkes doe neither harme nor tell tales Behold heere the justice and providence of God! she who laid snares for others must now be taken in them her selfe a punishment which the sinne of this wretched Gentlewoman findes because deserveth there is no vice nor malice but have their pretexts and colours Catalina finds fault with too or three red pimples that Ansilva hath in her face which she wil have taken away She sends for an Empericke one Pedro Sarmiata and proffereth him one hundred Duckets to poyson her which like a limbe of the devill he undertakes and infusing poyson in some potions hee administreth it her shee the very next day dyes a fit reward and punishment for so gracelesse and bloody a Gentlewoman who as we have formerly seene made no religion nor conscience to attempt two severall times to poyson the faire and vertuous Berinthia Whiles this Tragedie is acting at Avero Sebastiano begins to act another in Elvas but a thousand times lesse impious and more honourable For having received his Fathers order by Villandras hee now sends him into the Castle to take Antonio's and Berinthia's last resolution hee is admitted to them Villandras directs his speech first to Berinthia then to Antonio to whom hee relateth his message and Sebastiano's pleasure Berinthia returnes him this answere Cousin Villandras recommend mee courteously to my brother Sebastiano and tell him my first answere and resolution is and shall be my last And quoth Antonio I pray ye likewise informe him from me that Berinthia's will is my law and her resolution mine and that I will bee as carefull as willing and ready to lose my life in defence and preservation of hers Villandras returnes and acquaints Sebastiano with this their last resolutions from which hee alleageth it is impossible for them to bee disswaded or diverted Sebastiano is beaten with two contrary and irresolute windes what to doe in a businesse of this nature either to recover his sister by Law or by Armes by Law he holds it a course both cowardly and prejudiciall by Armes hee sees hee must kill himselfe or his friend to undertake the first would bee the laughter of Antonio and not to attempt the second the shame of all Portugall and Spaine hee therefore preferres generositie before reason and passion above judgement and so resolves to fight with Antonio to which end hee makes choyce of his Cousin Villandras for his Second and the next morne sends him to the Castle with this Challenge SEBASTIANO TO ANTONIO I Must either returne my Sister Berinthia to Avero or lose my life heere at Elvas for I had rather dye then live to see her dishonour sith hers is mine neither doe I first infringe or violate the bonds of our familiaritie rather thy selfe sith thou art both the authour and cause thereof wherefore of two things resolve on one Either before to morrow morning sixe of the clocke render mee my Sister Berinthia or else at that houre meet mee on foot with thy Second in the square greene Meadow under thine owne Castle where the choyce of two single Rapiers shall awayt or attend thee If thou art honourable thou wilt grant my first if generous not denie my second request SEBASTIANO Antonio receives this Challenge beares it privately from all the world especially from his sweet Berinthia who poore Lady little imagines or suspects her brother and lover are rushing foorth for her sake Hee returnes this answere by Villandras that hee cannot graunt Sebastiano his first request nor will not denie him his second So hee chuseth a Cousin-germane of his a valiant young Gentleman tearmed Don Belasco who willingly and freely ingageth himselfe in this quarrell So hee and Villandras that night with as much friendship as secresie meet in the Citie and resolve on the Rapiers and other ceremonies requisite in Duels The morne appeares when our Combatants leape from their beds to the field where a little before sixe being the appointed houre all parties appeare the Seconds performe their office in visiting the Principals who cast off their doublers and draw and so traversing their ground they with judgement and generositie fall to their businesse at the first cloze Antonio is wounded in the right arme and Sebastiano in the left side which glaunced on a rib at the second Sebastiano wounds Antonio 'twixt the breast and shoulder a little
Murther and with many teares repents herselfe of it adding withall that her affection to Antonio led her to this revenge on her brother and therfore beseecheth her Iudges to have compassion on her youth But the foulenesse of her fact in those grave and just personages wipes off the fairenesse of her request So they consult and pronounce Sentence against her That for expiation of this her cruel murther on the person of her brother she the next morne shall bee hanged in the publike Market place So all praise God for the detection of this lamentable Murther and for the condemnation of this execrable Murtheresse and those who before looked on her youth and beauty with pitty now behold her foule crime with hatred and detestation and as they applaud the sincerity of her former affection to Antonio so they farre more detest and condemne this her inhumane cruelty to her owne brother Sebastiano But what griefe is there comparable to that of her Father and Mother whose age content and patience is not onely battered but razed downe with the severall assaults of affliction so as they wish themselves buryed or that their Children had beene unborne for it is rather a torment then a griefe to them that they whom they hoped would have beene props and comforts to their age should now prove instruments and subjects to shorten their dayes and consequently to draw their age to the miseries of an untimely and sorrowfull grave But although they have tasted a world of griefe and anxiety first for the death of their Daughter Catalina and then of their onely Sonne Sebastiano yet it pierceth them to the hâ—…rt and gall that this their last Daughter and Child Berinthia should passe by the passage of a halter and end her dayes upon so ignominious and shamefull a Stage as the Gallowes which would adde a blemish to the lustre of their bloud and posterity that time could never have power either to wipe off or wash away which to prevent Vilarezo and his wife Alphanta use all their friends and mortall powers towards the Iudges to convert their Daughters Sentence into a lesse shamefull and more honourable death So although the Gallowes bee erected Berinthia prepared to dye and a world of people yea in a manner the whole people of Avero concurr'd and seated to see her now take her last farewell of the world yet the importunacie and misery of her parents her owne descent youth and beauty as also her endâ—…ered affection and servent love to her Lover Antonio at last obtaine compassion and favour of her Iudges So they revoke and change their former decree and sweeten the rigour thereof with one more honourable and milde and lesse sharpe bitter and shamefull and definitively adjudge her to be immured up betwixt two walls and there with a slender dyet to end the remainder of her dayes And this Sentence is speedily put in execution whereat her parents friends and acquaintance yea all that knew her very bitterly grieve and lament and farre the more in respect they cannot be permitted to see or visit her or shee them onely the Physicians and Divines have admittance and accesse to her those to provide earthly physicke for her body and these spirituall for her soule And in this lamentable estate she is very penitent and repentant for all her sinnes in generall and for this her vile murther of her Brother in particular yea a little imprisonment or rather the spirit of God hath opened the eyes of her faith who now defying the Devill who had seduced and drawne her hereunto shee makes her peace with God and assures her selfe that her true repentance hath made hers with him So unaccustomed to bee pent up in so strait and darke a Mew the yellow Iaundies and a burning Feaver surprise her and so she ends her miserable dayes Lo these are the bitter fruits of Revenge and Murther which the undertakers by the just judgement of God are inforced to tast and swallow downe when in the heat of their youth and height of their impiety they least dreame or thinke thereof by the sight of which great effusion of bloud yea by all these varieties of mournefull and fatall accidents if wee will divorce our thoughts from Hell to Earth and wed our contemplations and affections from Earth to Heaven wee shall then as true Christians and sonnes of the eternall God runne the race of our mortality in peace in this world and consequently bee rewarded with a glorious Crowne of immortall felicity in that to come GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXEcrable sinne of Murther HISTORIE VIII Belluile treacherously murthereth Poligny in the street Laurieta Poligny's Mistris betrayeth Belluile to her Chamber and there in revenge shoots him thorow the body with a Pistoll when assisted by her Wayting-Mayd Lucilla they likewise give him many wounds with a Ponyard and so murther him Lucilla flying for this fact is drowned in a Lake and Laurieta is taken hang'd and burnt for the same IT is an infallible Maxime that if wee open our hearts to sinne we shut them to godlinesse for as soone as wee follow Satan God flies from us because we first fled from him but that his mercie may shine in our ingratitude hee by his servants his holy Spirit and himselfe seekes all meanes to reclaime us as well from the vanitie of our thoughts as from the prophanenesse and impuritie of our actions but if wee become obstinate and obdurate in our transgressions and so like Heathens fall from vice to vice whereas wee should as Christians grow up from vertue to vertue then it is not hee but our selves that make ship wracke both of our selves and soules of our selves in this life of our soules in that to come then which no misery can bee so great none so unfortunate and miserable It is true the best of Gods children are subject to sinne but to delight and persevere therein is the true way as well to hell as death All have not the gift of pure and chaste thoughts neither can wee so conserve or sanctifie our bodies but that concupiscence may and will sometimes assayle us or rather the devill in it but to pollute them with fornication and to transforme them from the Temples of the holy Ghost to the members of a harlot this though corrupt Nature seeme to allow or tolerate yet Grace doth not onely deny but detest But as one sinne is seldome without another either at her heeles or elbow so too too often it falles out that Mâ—…rther accompanieth Fornication and Adulterie as if one of these foule crimes were not enough to make us miserable but that in stead of going wee will needs ride poast to hell A woefull President and lamentable and mournfull Example whereof I heere produce to the view of the world in three unfortunate personages in a lascivious Ladie and two lewd and debosht young Gentlemen who all very lamentably cast themselves away upon the Sylla of Fornication and the
with many fearefull imprecations and asseverations stands peremptorily in her innocencie and out of the heat of her malice and choller termes them devills or witches that are her accusers But her Iudges who can no longer be deluded with her vowes nor will no more give eare to her perfidious oaths command to have her Paps seared off with hot burning Pincers thereby to vindicate the truth of her cruell murther from the falsehood of her impious and impudent denyall thereof Whereat amazed and astonished and seeing this cruell torment ready to bee inflicted and presented her God was so indulgent to her sinnes and so mercifull to her soule as the devill flying from her and she from his temptations shee rayning downe many rivolets and showres of teares from her eyes and evaporating many volleyes of sighes from her heart throwing her selfe downe on her knees to the earth and lifting up her eyes and handes unto Heaven with much bewayling and bitternesse shee at last confesseth to her Iudges that shee and her Wayting-mayd Lucilla were the murtherers of Belluile and for the which shee sayd that through her humble contrition and hearty repentance shee hoped that God would pardon her soule in the life to come though shee knew they would not her body in this Whereupon the Iudges in horrour and execration of her inhumane and bloudy crime pronounce sentence of death upon her and condemne her the next day after dinner first to be hanged then burnt in the same street right against her lodging Monsieur de Richcourts house and likewise sith Lucilla was both an accessary and actour in this bloudy Tragedy that her body should be taken up out of her Grave and likewise burnt with hers in the same fire which accordingly was executed in the presence of an infinite number of people both of the Citizens and adjacent neighbours of Avignion Laurieta uttering upon the Ladder a short but a most Christian and penitent speech to the people tending first to disswade them all by her example from those foule and crying sinnes of whoredome revenge and murther and then to request and perswade them that they would assist her with their religious and devout prayers in her soules passage and flight towards Heaven yet adding withall that as her crime so her griefe was redoubled because as she had killed Belluile for Poligny's sake so she was sure that Belluile had killed Poligny for hers And thus Christian Reader were the dissolute lives and mournefull deaths of these two unfortunate Gentlemen Poligny and Belluile and of this lascivious and bloudy Curâ—…izan Laurieta and her Wayting-mayd Lucilla A tragicall History worthy both of our observation and detestation and indeed these are the bitter fruits of Lust Whoreâ—…ome and Revenge and the inseparable companions which infallibly awayt and attend them the very sight and consideration whereof are capable not onely to administer consolation to the righteous but to strike terror to the ungodly O therefore that wee may all beware by these their fatall and dangerous sinnes for this is the onely perfect and true way to prevent and avoyde their punishments GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND EXEcrable sinne of Murther HISTORIE IX Iacomo de Castelnovo Iustfully falls in love with his daughter in law Perina his owne sonne Francisco de Castelnovo's Wife whom to injoy he causeth Ierantha first to poyson his owne Lady Fidelia and then his said son Francisco de Castelnovo in revenge whereof Perina treacherously murthereth him in his bed Ierantha ready to dye in travell of child confesseth her two Murthers for the which she is bang'd and burnt Perina hath her right hand cut off and is condemned to perpetuall imprisonment where she sorrowfully languisheth and dyes WEe need not send our curiosity or our curiosity us to seek Tygers and Monsters in Africa for Europe hath but too many who are so cruell and inhumane not only to imbrue but to imbath themselves in the innocent bloud of their Christian brethren And as Religion prohibites us to kill and commands us to love our enemies with what audacious and prophane impiety dare wee then murther our friends nay those of our owne bloud and who are the greatest part of our selves And although Italy have lately afforded many tragicall presidents and fearefull Examples of this nature wheâ—…of I have given some to my former and reserved others to my future bookes yet in my conceipt it hath produced none more bloudy and inhumane then this whether we respect the Murthers or the persons For here wee shall see a wretched and execrable old man so besotted in lust and flaming in malice and revenge as being both a husband and a father hee by a hellish young Gentlewoman his strumpet poysonâ—…th both his owne wife and his owne sonne It was his vanity which first inkindled the fire of his lust it is then his Impiety which gives way to the Devill to blow the coales thereto and so to convert it into Murther O that Sinne should so triumph o're Grace and not Grace o're Sinne O that Age and Nature should not teach us to bee lesse bloudy and more compassionate and charitable And alas alas by Poyson that drug of the Devill who first brought the damnable invention thereof from hell to be practised here on earth onely by his agents and members Wee shall likewise see him killed by his daughter in law for formerly poysoning of her husband Lust seduced him to perpetraâ—…e those Affection or rather bloudy Revenge drew her on to performe this and consequently to her punishment due for the same Had they had more Grace and Religion they would not have beene so inhumane but falling from that no marvell if they fell to be so wretched and miserable for if we die well we seldome live ill if live ill we usually never die well for it is the end that crowns the beginning not the beginning the end Therfore if we will be happy in our lives and blessed in our deaths we must follow Vertue and flie from Vice love Chastity and Charity and hate Lust and Envie preferre Heaven before Earth our Soules before our Bodies and defie Satan with a holy resolution both to feare and love God SAvoy is the Countrey and Nice the City seated upon the Mediterraneâ—…m Sea being the strongest Bulwarke against France and the best Forâ—…resse and Key of Italy where the Scene of this insuing Tragicall History is layd the which to refetch from the Head-spring and Fountaine of its originall it must carry our curiosity and understanding over those famous Mountaines the Alpes and from thence to the City of Saint Iohn de Mauriena where of late and fresh memory dwelt an aged Gentleman of rich revenues and great wealth named Seignior Antonio de Arconeto who had newly by his deceased Wife the Lady Eleanora de Bibanti two Children to wit a Son and a Daughter that named Seignior Alexandro and this the Lady Perina a little different in yeares for he was eighteen and
imbraceth and kisseth her highly extolling her chastity and applauding the discreet carriage of her escape being himselfe resolute to stay in Saint Iâ—… de Mauriene with her father Arconeto and not to returne to Nice to his owne father Castelnovo But hee shall as soone infringe as make this his resolution for by this time his father understanding of his Sonnes returne from Malta to Saint Iohn de Mauriâ—… and knowing that his Lady Perina had not fail'd to bewray him his lascivious suit and desire attempted against her honour as also grieving at the remembrance of his forâ—…er folly and future shame in knowing what a foule seandall both it and his sonnes absenâ—… would procure and ingender him he resolves to confesse his crime and so by the mediation of a perswasive and satisfying Letter to indeavour to reclaime them againe frâ—… Saint Iohn de Mauriene to Nice when calling for pen and paper hee writes these seâ—… insuing lines and sends them his Sonne by a Gentleman of his CASTELNOVO to his Sonne CASTELNOVO I Am as glad of thy arrivall from Malta as sorrowfull for thy absence from Nice and fâ—… to denye is to redouble our errors and imperfections I will not goe further then my selfe to fiâ—… the cause thereof sith I know that my lascivious and gracelesse attempt against the honour of 〈◊〉 chast Lady hath drawne thee to this resolution but now I write it to my future comfort 〈◊〉 much as I conceived it to my former shame that Grace hath vanquished Nature and 〈◊〉 gion lust in mee so as I am at present not onely sorrowfull but repentant for that crime of miâ—… which I no more remember but with horrour nor thinke of but with detestation My soule 〈◊〉 made my peace with God and my heart desires to recontract it both with thy selfe and her 〈◊〉 as I hope hee will forget it so I beseech you both to forgive it mee being ready to confirme 〈◊〉 my reconciliation as well with my tongue as pen Wherefore sith thou art the sole prop of my 〈◊〉 and comfort of my life make mee not so unfortunate or miserable to bee tax'd with the scaâ—… of my shame and thy absence but bring backe thy Lady with thee for here I professe beâ—… Heaven and Earth that I will henceforth as much honour her for her chastity as heretosâ—… lasciviously sought to betray and violate it CASTELNOVO This vertuous and religious Letter of the Father prevailes with the Sonne and his faire and chast Lady so as their secrecies and discretions hush up this businesse in silence and within eight dayes they both returne from Saint Iohn de Mauriene to Nice where they are conrteously welcomed and respectively received and entertayned of their father whose contrition for his former folly is outwardly so great as hee hath teares in his eyes at the remembrance thereof so as making good the promise of his Letter he very penitently and sorrowfully implores their pardon and remission which they instantly graunt him with as much willingnesse as alacrity So the report and thought hereof is obscured and vanished as if it had never been and all things and parties so reconciled as to common sense nothing in the world is capable to trouble the tranquillity of this reconciliation and atonement But alas alas we shall very briefly see the contrary For old Castelnovo the Father notwithstanding all these religious promises and sincere shewes of repentance and teares is so far from being the man he seemes to be as although hee have made his peace with his sonne and Daughter yet ay mee I write it with griefe he hath not with his conscience nor his conscience with God for although he have a chast and religious tongue yet he still retaineth a lascivious and adulterate heart yea hee is so farre from conversion and reformation as the new sight and review of the Lady Perina's fresh and delicate beauty doth revive those sparkes and refresh those flames of his lust which seemed to be raked up in the embers of her absence And what is this but to be a Christian in shew and a miscreant in effect to hide a foule soule under a faire face and to make Religion and Hypocrisie a fatall and miserable cloke for his villany But though he dissemble with God yet wee shall see and hee finde that God will not dissemble with him and in thinking to bâ—…tray God Satan in the end will betray him The manner is thus As he resumes his old suit and newly burnes in love and lustfull desire to erect the Trophees of his lascivious and incestuous pleasures upon the ruines of his Daughter in lawes chastity and honour so he likewise sees it impossible to thinke to performe or hope to accomplish it as long as his sonne her husband lives and therefore losing his judgement either in the Labyrinth of her beauty or in the turbulent Ocean of his owne concupiscence and lust hee contrary to the rules of Grace and the lawes and principles of nature swaps a bargaine with the Devill to poyson him To which end to shew himselfe the monster of men and the bloudiest president of a most degenerate Father which this or many precedentages ever produced or afforded he hath againe recourse to his Hellish Agent Ierantha in favour of five hundred Ducats to send the Sonne into Heaven after the Mother and to make him equall with her as in nature so in the dissolution thereof death A bloudy designe and mournefull project which wee shall presently bee inforced to see acted upon the Theater of this History But Ierantha is at first so repentant for the death of the Mother as shee will not consent to that of the Sonne And had shee continued in this religious resolution shee had lived more fortunately and not dyed so miserably and shamefully as wee shall briefely see For our old Lecher Castelnovo her Master seeing his Gold could not this second time prevaile with Ierantha being equally inflamed as well with lust to Perina as with malice and revenge to his Sonne Castelnovo her husband hee is so implacable therein as hee promiseth to marry her if shee will attempt and performe it So although his first battery fayled yet his second doeth not For the Devill had â—…ade her so ambitious of Greatnesse and Honour that of a simple wayting Gentlewoman to become a great Lady she consents heereunto and which is a thousand pitties to report within lesse then sixe dayes performes it when God knowes the innocencie of this harmelesse young Gentleman his sonne never dreamt or suspected it At the sight of this his sudden death his Lady Perina is ready to dye for griefe yea to drowne her selfe in the Ocean and deluge of her teares tearing her haire and striving to deface the excellencie of her beautie with a kinde of carelesse neglect as if shee were resolute not to survive him And if the Lady Perina bewrayed many deplorable demonstrations of sorrow for the death of her husband no
resolution notwithstanding although hee knew that Madamoyselle La Frange had many noble Suitors who sought her in mariage yet relying upon his ancient acquaintance and familiaritie with the President de Clugny as also that that daughter of his and this his Son were of both parties their onely children Hee taking time at advantage breakes with him about this match whereunto De Clugny hearkens rather with delight than distast for if there were any disparitie in the dignitie of their Offices he well knowes that Argentiers blood and wealth did at least equalize if not exceed his or if hee conceited any scruple in his thoughts which impugned or imposed it it was onely because De Salez was a Souldier and not a Lawyer and consequently delighted to use his Sword before his Pen and to weare and preferre a Scarlet cloke before a Blacke But then againe these repugnant and averse reasons were as soone buried as borne and defaced as conceived and ingraven in him when hee considered that hee himselfe in his adolescency was of the same humor and inclination and therefore that Experience had made him a President to himselfe that Time was both the reformer and refiner of manners and that in all well borne and well bred spirits the Precepts of a father and the sweet conversation and counsell of a wife had power to metamorphose the conditions of a young husband whereupon the old fathers often meet and consult hereon and so being fully agreed on all conditions they likewise appoint a solemne meeting for their children but the effect and issue of this their enterview will not corespond and answer their desires La Frange as we have formerly said being deformed and crook-backt was no way agreeable but displeasing to De Salez but he being a tall and neat timbred Gentleman of a faire and feminine complexion she instantly most tenderly affected and dearely loved him In a word I must request the curiositie of the Reader briefly to be informed and advertised that as shee beheld him with the eyes of Love and Desire so did he her with those of contempt and disdaine she building castles of content in the aire of her thoughts and hopes that Heaven would make him her husband and hee rasing both her and her memory out of that of his contemplations vowing that Earth should never make her his wife Thus though the Parents have already shut up the Contract yet their children shall never live to celebrate the Nuptials for we shall see diversity of tragicall accidents which are providing and almost ready to oppose and impugne it Parents thinke to be the causes but God will still bee the Authour of Marriages for if his sacred and divine Majesty make them not first in Heaven they shall never see them solemnized nor consummated on Earth And heere to make an orderly progression in this History thâ—… Reader must likewise understand that of all other of La Franges Suitors none sought her with so much importunity and impatiency as the Baron of Vaumartin whose chiefest house and lands lay betwixt Aigue-mortes and Narbone a Nobleman of some thirty yeeres old who like many others of his stampe and ranke had spent the greatest part of his youth and meanes in Paris in lasciviously debaushing and revelling with the Parisian Ladies and Dames so that the vanitie of his pleasures and expences making his lands fly away peece-meale and the devasting and fall of his trees and woods making the rest of his Mannors shake an example and president for all other debaushed Gallants to observe and beware of he leaves Paris with curses and his bitter-sweet sinnes with repentance and so to repayre his errors and to redeeme his lost time decayed estate he comes home to Langueâ—…oc where hearing in Tholouse of the President de Clugny's great wealth which he must solely leave to his onely childe and daughter La Frange who was now marriageable he resolves to set all his other businesse and designes apart and so to lay siege and seeke her of her father and selfe in marriage Now to take the better direction and observation of this History wee must likewise understand that this Baron of Vaumartin was of a swart complexion a dwarfe of stature and every way as crook-backt as La Frange which the more slattered him in his hopes and egged him on in his pursute hoping indeed though with as much Vanitie as Ignorance that this their corporall resemblance would the sooner induce and draw her to affect him but his Arithmetique or rather his Iudgement will deceive him for it is conformitie of Humors and Inclinations and not of faces and bodies which breeds and inflames a sympathy in affections But he is resolute in his research and so better loving the fathers wealth than the daughters Beautie he well assisted and followed with a traine and equipage worthy of his birth and her merits first seekes the daughter of her father then her selfe of her selfe As for the old President de Clugny he hath heard of his debaushed pranks and ryots in Paris and therefore vowes that his wealth gotten with wisedome and purchased with providence study and care in his Age shall never pay for the obscene pleasures and vitious prodigalities of his Youth and so with many verball complements resolving that he shall never triumph in the conquest of his daughter he in generall tearmes puts him off As for La Frange her selfe the sweetnesse of De Salez complexion and personage is so deeply imprinted in her heart and thoughts that it is impossible for Vaumartin to find any admittance or entrance for shee speakes of none but de Salez thinkes of none but of de Salez nor wisheth her selfe with any but with de Salez Againe she wonders at Vaumartins simplicitie in seeking her for his wife for if she hate deformitie in her selfe how is it either likely or possible that she can love it in her husband No no though de Salez will not love La Frange yet La Frange must and will love de Salez and none but him and therefore sith de Salez his sweet feature is a pearle in her eye needs must Vaumartin be an eye-sore to her yea and if modesty will permit mee to speake or write an immodest truth her heart doth so burne and flame in love to de Salez that both day and night shee many times with sighes sometimes with teares wisheth her selfe either impaled in his armes or he encloystred in hers Now by this time Vaumartin hath full notice and advertisement of her affection devoted to none but to de Salez as also his sleighting and disdaining her Whereupon encouraged by this and dishartened by that he leaves no cost care or curiosity either in gifts dancing musicke or bankets unattempted to crowne his wants rather than his desires and pleasures with this though deformed yet rich heire La Frange so leaving him to his vaine sute in courting her speake wee a little of de Salez that sith he will
the foule and enormious vices of La Hay with the sweet and resplendant vertues of La Frange he as much disdayning that match as desiring this for his sonne very hastily sends for him into the Arbor where purposely attending him he with lightning in his lookes and thunder in his speeches layes before him the simplicity and the sottishne sse of his resolution in preferring La Hay before La Frange a strumpet before a virgin and a Pedlers brat before a rich gentlemans onely daughter and heyre shewes him the infamy of the first and the glory of the last match there his unavoydable misery here his assured happinesse in the first his utter ruine and shipwracke and in the last his infallible prosperity and felicity and so intermixing threats with teares with a passionate paternall affection he endeavoreth to perswade him to leave La Hay and to marry La Frange or if not hee vowes and sweres wholly to disinherit him and from thence-forth never repute or esteeme him for his sonne But de Salez his foolish vanity and vaine affection in himselfe towards his new contracted Love La Hay is so great and consequently his filiall obedience to his father so small as not withstanding this his wholesome advise and counsell he is still resolute and constant to preferre La Hay before La Frange the beauty of the one before the deformity of the other his owne content before his fathers and Soulanges estate and byrth before the great wealth and noble extraction of De Clugny but this rashnes indiscretion and ingratitude of his will cost him deare Now if Argentier have perfect intelligence and curious notice of his sonnes familiarity with that faire yet lewd Courtezan La Hay no lesse hath la Frange who poore soule is so deeply enamored of de Salez as the very first newes and conceyt that another should enjoy him and not her selfe for very grife and sorrow shee seemes to drowne her selfe in the deluge of her teares His father is chollerick thereat she mournfull he incensed she afflicted he inraged she perplexed and tormented his passions and anger proceeds from suspition that he shall so soone find a daughter in law in la Hay her sighes and teares from feare that she shall so soone loose her Love though not her Lover his sonne de Salez Againe the argument of his choller is la Hayes unchastitie and povertie and the cause of her disconsolation de Salez his wealth and vertues likewise she sees that Argentier hath no reason to hope that his sonne will marry her selfe such is her deformitie and againe that he hath all the reasons of the world as well to doubt as feare that hee will wed la Hay such is her beauty But sith de Salez will beare no more respect to his father nor affection to la Frange leave we therefore his father Argentiers passions and la Franges perplexities to be appeased and qualified by Time or rather by God the Authour and giver of Time who out of his all-seeing providence and sacred pleasure onely knowes in Heaven how best to dispose and manage the actions of earth and so come wee to other unexpected occurrents and events which like so many enterjecting and intervening poynts are contained within the circumference of this History I have so long insisted on the affections of de Salez and la Hay as but to the judicious and temperate Reader it would seeme to appeare that the Baron of Vaumartin hath wholly forgotten to remember his to his Lady La Frange But to put that doubt out of question and this question out of doubt we shall see him returne too too soone to act a part not so religious and honourable as bloody upon the Theatre of this History For by this time both his creditors and his debts are growne so clamorous and his reputation and lands so neere forfeited for want of disingaging as to secure the one and provide for the other hee knowes no other invention not meanes but to gaine La Frange to his wife when as it were provoked and precipitated on by the necessity of this exigent his thoughts leave heaven to fly to hell and consequently fly from God to Sathan to consult how either by the bye or the maine hee may obtaine her yea though with the perill and hazard of his owne life to cut off theirs who seeke therein to prevent his desires and designes In which hellish ratiocynation he as devoyd of Reason as that is exempt either of Grace or Piety thus reasoneth with himselfe De Clugny hates me for seeking to marry his daughter and that time may remedy for me but which is worst of all she loves De Salez and seekes and desires to marry him and this I must remedy in time if I ever expect to obtaine or enjoy her and so resolves to make him away but is as yet irresolute how to perpetrate and in what manner to finish so execrable a businesse But this is not onely the voice of his malice but the sentence of his revenge that De Salez must die wretched Vaumartin unworthy to beare the name of a man much lesse of a Baron but least of all of a Christian in that because De Salez hates La Frange and she loves him that therefore thou wilt not love but hate him or because she loves him and not thy selfe that therefore thou wilt kill him that she may love thee See see rash and inconsiderate Nobleman how treacherously the Devill hath hood wink'd yea inveigled thy judgement and besotted thy senses to kill one that loves thee to kill I say a Gentleman who hath not offended thee but is every way thy friend no way thine enemy or if thou thinke it wisdome that covetousnesse must redeeme thy former prodigality alas alas canst thou yet be so cruell to thinke it either lawfull or religious that future murther should either occasion or authorize it But the Devill hath so farre prevailed with his impious resolutions that againe he resolves De Salez must die and yet thou thinkest poyson as unworthy of him as he is worthy of thy sword so had thy last resolution been answerable to thy first assure thy selfe thou hadst made thy selfe more happy and not so miserable for as poysoning was the invention of the devill and is practised by none but his agents so this dishonourable point of honour to fight Duels was never instituted by God nor professed by those who really professe his Gospell yea it is not only truely to dishonour God in seeking falsly to preserve our own Honour and reputation but we assuredly stab at the Majesty of the Creator in seeking to deface man his creature and to use but a word as it is repugnant both to Nature and Grace so though it begin in the heat of passion and pleasure it many times terminates in Repentance but still in true Infamy and misery But Vaumartins faith being so strong with Sathan and so weake with his Saviour he will not take
and beaten by a Pigmey he lyes home at Vaumartin and at their very next close runnes him thorow the body of a deepe and mortall wound a little above his navell whereat his sword presently falls out of his hand to the ground and hee immediately likewise from his horse starke dead without having the grace or happinesse either to call on or to name God O what pitty what misery is it that a Christian should die like a beast having neither power to pray nor felicity to repent Thus we see the Challenger kill'd and hee who would have murthered a stranger murthered himselfe by a stranger a Lesson to teach others to beware by the Tragicall and mournfull end of this rash Nobleman De Salez seeing Vaumartin dead praiseth God for his victory and so leaving his breathlesse corps to his sorrowfull Chirurgion he gallops away to the next Village where he causeth his wounds to be dressed and from thence provides for his safety All Tholouse rings and resounds of this disasterous and Tragicall accident De Clugny is glad that De Salez hath escaped death yet sorrowfull that Vaumartin is kill'd in respect hee feares hee undertooke this quarrell for his daughter La Franges sake who hearing that De Salez wounds are no way mortall infinitely reioyceth and triumpheth thereat flattering her selfe though with this false hope that he affected her farre more dearer than he made shew of or else that he would never have fought with Vaumartin for her sake nor have kill'd him but for his owne And thus though humanitie made her grieve for Vaumartins death yet that griefe of hers was as suddenly converted into joy when she saw he received it by the hand of De Salez whom shee respected and afâ—…cted more dearer than all the Gentlemen of the world Now as for his father Argentier the life of his sonne likewise wiped off the remembrance of Vaumartins death and yet it grieved him inwardly that hee to whom he gave life should give death to another and farre the more in that this unfortunate accident must now enforce him to beg pardon from that grave Court of Parliament for this murther perpetrated by his son sith he had formerly so often pleaded for justice against others for the like crime and offence But all these joyes of Argentâ—…r De Clugny and his daughter Lâ—… Frange are nothing to those of La Hay for the life and victory of her deare De Salez leaping as it were for meere content and pleasure that shee should shortly see and enioy him for her husband and that God hath both reserved and preserved him to crowne her with the sweetnesse of this desired felicitie Thus while La Frange and La Hay triumph and congratulate the returne of De Salez so Argentier publikely and Dâ—… Clugny privately imploy there chiefest power friends and authoritie to procure his pardon first from the King then from the Parliament whereof they are two famous members Which â—…t lâ—…st by the meanes and favour of the Duke of Ventadour they obtaine So this murther of his is remitted in Earth but I fâ—…re me will not be forgotten in Heaven for though men be inconstant in their decrees yet God will be firme and upright aswell in the distribution as execution of his judgements Men as they are men may erre but as they are Christians they should not but God either to please or displease them neither can nor will De Salez no sooner hath escaped this danger but forgetting his former follies and his fathers advise and house he againe in a manner voluntarily imprisoneth himselfe with his mistris La Hay in hers whereat as his father stormes so De Clugny and La Frange bit the lip hoping that this good office in procuring him his pardon would more strictly have united him to her selfe and consequently sequestred him from La Hay but nothing lesse for he sings his old tune and will rather run the hazard of his fathers displeaâ—…ure than leave La Hay to take La Frange whereat his father Argentier reneweth his choller and revives his indignation against him as desiring nothing so much in this life as to see him married to La Frange but he shall never live to see it for there are to many disasterous accidents preparing to crosse and prevent it Whiles these things happen in Tholouse there betides an unexpected and unwished businesse which must call away Argentier to Paris For the Lords of the Privie counsell of France having received some informations and grievances against the body of the Court of Parliament of Tholouse command them speedily to send up some Deputies to answer such matters as shall be objected against them whereupon the gravitie and wisdome of that Court in obedience to their superiours elect two Presidents and four Counsellours to undertake that journey and businesse among whome De Clugny is chosen for one of the Presidents and Argentier for one of the Counsellours as inded their integritie and profound Wisedome and Experience had made them eminent in that Court. As for de Clugny at his importunate request made to the Court he was dispenced with from that journey by alleadging that his age and sickenesse made him altogether unfit to undertake it but all the evasions and excuses which Argentier could make could not exempt him but he must needs see Paris But first before his departure he had a long and serious conference with de Clugny how to effect the so long desired match of his sonne and daughter the finishing whereof was referred till his returne from Paris which sweet newes infinitely rejoyced and delighted the young Ladie La Frange and the immediate night before he was to take Coach hee calls his sonne de Salez to him and with a perswasive and powerfull speech requested him in his absence to love La Frange which he in plaine termes protested and vowed to his father he could not then hee conjures him never to marry La Hay which likewise he would not grant and to conclude sith his father could not prevaile in the two former he commanded him upon his blessing that he would never marry any wife whatsoever without his consent the which indeed de Salez could not denie but faithfully promised his father yea and bound it with an oath yet still hoping that it was as possible for him to draw his father to consent he should marry La Hay as it was as impossible for his father ever to perswade him to marry La Frange and so that night the father takes leave of the sonne and he the next morning of his father wishing him a prosperous journey and a speedy returne who suspecting and fearing that in his absence contrary to his requests and prayers his Sonne would only abandone La Erange to frequent La Hay he being arived to the Cittie of Tours thought himselfe bound in Nature aswell for his owne content as his sonnes tranquilitie and prosperitie againe to signifie him his mind in some few lines of advise
conclusion is foure are of opinion that this cure is repugnant to the grounds of Physicke and the principles of Chirurgery and therefore impossible to be effected the other two are of a contrary judgement and held it feasable and that many times God blesseth the Art and labours of a man not onely beyond expectation but also beyond hope and reason so De Clugny seeing that these two with Michaele were three against foure hee in respect of the tender care and affection he bore his daughter resolves to imploy him and gives him an hundred double Pistollets in hand to attempt it with promise of as much more when he hath performed it whereof this miscreant and hellish Empericke Michaele being exceedingly glad he betakes himselfe to this businesse visits the young Lady who promiseth him to reduble her fathers summe if he make her body straight when to reduce his impious contemplation into infâ—…rnall action he outwardly applieth playsters and seare-clothes to her body and inwardly administreth her pills and potions and O griefe to write it therein infuseth deadly poyson which hee knowes at the end of ten dayes will assuredly make a divorce betweene her body and soule and so send that to the death of this world and this to the life of that to come So this sweete and innocent Lady wishing good to her selfe and hurt to none in the worâ—…d first finds a giddinesse and swimming in her head and within some six dayes after in which time the poyson had dispersed it selfe throughout all the veines and pores of her body many sharpe gripes and bitter throwes and convulsions whereat her father grieves and she weepes onely that gracelesse villaine her Empericke bids them be of good comfort and that the more paine and griefe she suffered the better and speedier hope there was of her cure but yet inwardly in his devillish heart knowes that the poyson effectually operated and wrought with her as hee desired and expected and that by these infallible signes and simptomes his patient drew neere towards the period of her end Whereupon hee repaires secretly to La Hay and bids her provide the rest of his mony for that La Frange could not possibly live two dayes to an end whereat she triumphing and rejoycing with much alacrity againg promiseth it him and indeed the hellish Art of this execrable Empericke doth not now deceive him though in the end the malice of the devill his Doctor will For just as the tenth day was expired this harmelesse sweet yong Lady dyes to the incomparable and unspeakable grief of the good old President her father for that she was the staffe of his age and the chiefe and onely comfort of his life who disconsolatly and mournfully seemed to drown himselfe in his teares hereat cursing the houre that he first saw this accursed Empericke Michaele who had robbed him of his only joy and delight of his deare and sweet daughter La Frange But this murdrous Michaele having learnt of the devill to feare no colours meanes not to step a foot from Tholouse and so sends privately for Lâ—… Hay of whom he craves the performance of her promise for that quoth he he had performed his Why quoth La Hay is that crookbackt dwarfe La Frange dead She is gone quoth Michaele to her eternall rest when La Hay not able to retaine her selfe for excesse of joy runs to him gives him the other hundred crownes together with many kisses which take quoth she as a pledge of my continuall good will towards thee when again swearing secresie they both take leave each of other and part The newes of La Franges death ratlâ—…th and resoundeth over all Tholouse her kinsefolkes grive at it her frinds lament it and all who eyther know her or her fame bewayle it onely De Salez and execrable La Hay excepted who knowing her to have beene the onely stop and hinderance of their mariage they are so ravished with joy heereat as they seeme to contest and envy each other who shall first bring the newes hereof each to other yea the excesse of De Salez his joy is as boundlesse as that of La Hayes delight so that he seemes to flye to her to her fathers house where she with out-spread armes receives and entertaines him and there they mutually congratulate each other for this her death he affirming and she beleeving that La Frange being gone to heaven it shall not bee long ere the Church make them man and wife on earth In the meane time he being wholly ignorant of her poysoning and yet the olde President her father and the rest of her friends suspecting it they cause her body to be opened and although they find no direct poyson yet remarking a little kind of yellow tincture on her heart and liver as also some show thereof through her frozen veines They cause Michaele to be apprehended and imprisoned and so procure a Decree from the Parliament to have him rack'd At the newes whereof La Hay is extreamely tormented and perplexed as well foreseeing and knowing that her life lay at the mercy of his tongue wherefore to fortifie his secrecie and thereby to secure her owne feare and danger she by a confident friend of his sends him a hundred French crownes more and promiseth him to give him a rich Diamond worth as much againe who as before being extreamely covetous and the Devill resembling himselfe still haâ—…ping to him on that string which most delights him his heart is so devillishly obdurated and his fortitude so armed and prepared as his patience and constancy not onely endures but outbraves the crueltie of his torments and so he is acquited of this his pretended crime but he hath not as yet made his peace with God And now is De Salez resolved to make a Journey to Paris to draw his fathers consent that he may marry La Hay but the wisedome of the father shall anticipate the folly of the Sonne for he having heard in Paris of La Franges death and still fearing that because of his frequent familiarity with that strumpet La Hay he will in the end marry her He in Paris buyes a Captaines place for him in the Regiment of the Kings Guard and likewise dealt with a very rich Counsellour of that Court of Parliament named Monsieur de Brianson that his sonne may marry his eldest daughter Madamoyselle de Plessis a very sweet and faire yong Gentlewoman and the old folkes are already agreed on all conditions onely it rests that the young sees and loves To which end Argentier writes away with all speed to Tholouse for his sonne De Salâ—…z to come up to him who before he had received his fathers letter as wee have formerly understood was ready to undertake that Journey La Hay infinitly fearefull and jealous to lose her pray with Crocodile teares in her eyes and Hyena aspects in her lookes informes De Salez that she feareth that his father hath provided a wife for him in Paris
Widdowes and Wives to beware by her mournful and execrable example her flames and prayers made expiation for the offence of her body and her soule mounted and fled to Heaven to crave remission and pardon of God who was the only Creator of the one and Redeemer of the other And such were the deplorable yet deserved ends of this bloody and wretched couple La Vasselay and La Villette for so cruelly murthering harmelesse Gratiana and innocent De Merson And thus did Gods all-seeing and sacred Justice justly triumph ore these their crying and execrable crimes O that their examples may engender and propagate our reformation and that the reading of this their lamentable History may teach us not only how to meditate thereon but also how to amend thereby GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable Sinne of Murther HISTORY XIV Fidelia and Caelestina cause Carpi and Monteleone with their two Laquayes Lorenzo and Anselmo to murther their Father Captaine Benevente which they performe Monteleone and his Laquay Anfelmo are drowned Fidelia hangs her selfe Lorenzo is hanged for a robbery and on the gallowes confesseth the murthering of Benevente Carpi hath his right hand then his head cut off Caelestina is beheadeâ—… and her body burnt OUr best parts being our Vertues and our chiefe and Soveraigne Vertue the purity and sanctity of our selves how can we neglect those or not regard this except we resolve to see our selves miserable in this life and our soules wretched in that to come and as charity is the cyment of our other vertues so envie her opposite is the subversion of this our charity from whence flowes rage revenge and many times murther her frequent and almost her inseperable companions but of all degrees of malice and envie can there be any so inhumane and diabolicall â—…s for two gracelesse daughters to plot the death of their owne father and to seduce and obtaine their two lovers to act and performe it whereof in this insuing History we shall see a most barbarous and bloody president as also their condigne punishâ—…nts afflicted on them for the same In the reading whereof O that we may have the grace by the sight of these their 〈◊〉 crimes and punishments to reforme and prevent our owne that wee may looke on their cruelty with charity on their rage with reaâ—…on on their errors with compassion on their desperation with pitty and on their 〈◊〉 wiâ—…h pâ—… that the meditation and contemplation thereof may terrifie ouâ—… 〈◊〉 quâ—…ch both the fire of our lust and the flames of our revenge so shall our faiths be fortified our passions reformed our affections purified and our actions eternally both blessed and sanctified to which end I have written and divulged it So Christian Reader if thou make this thy end in perusing it thou wilt then not faile to receive comfort thereby and therefore faile not to give God the Glory MAny yeeres since the Duke of Ossuna under the command of Spaine was made Viceroy of the Noble Kingdome of Naples the which hee governed with much reputation and honour although his fortunes or actions how justly or unjustly I know not have since suffered and received an Eclipse In the City of Otranto within the Province of Apulia there dwelt an ancient rich and valiant Gentleman nobly descended tearmed Captaine Benevente who by his deceased Lady Sophia Eliaâ—…ora Niece to the Duke of Piombinâ—… had left him two daughters and a sonne he tearmed Seignior Richardo Alcasero they two the Ladies Fidelia and Caelestina names indeed which they will no way deserve but from whom they will solely dissent and derogate through their hellish vices and inhumane dispositions to blood and murther wee may grace our names but our names cannot grace us Alcasero lives not at home with his father but for the most part at Naples as a chiefe Gentleman retayning to the Viceroy where he profiteth so well in riding and tilting a noble vertue and exercise beyond all other Italians naturall and hereditary to the Neopolitans that he purchased the name of a bold and brave Cavalier but for Fidelia and Caelestina the clockes of their youth having stroke twenty and eighteene the Captaine their father thinking it dangerous to have Ladies of their yeeres and descent farre from him keepes them at home that his care might provide them good husbands and his eye prevent them from matching with others It is as great a blessing in children to have loving Parents as for them to have obedient children and had their obedience answered his affection and their duty his providence wee had not seene the Theatre of this their History so be sprinckled and gored with such great effusion of blood This Captaine Benevente their father for his blood wealth and generosity was beloved and honoured of all the Nobility of Apulia and for his many services both by sea and land was held in so great esteeme in Otranto that his house was an Academie where all the Gallants both of City and Country resorted to backe great Horses to run at the Ring and to practise other such Courtly and Martiall Exercises whereunto this old Captaine as well in his age as youth was exceedingly addicted so as the beauty of his two daughters Fidelia and Caelestina could not be long either unseene or unadmired for they grew so perfectly faire of so sweet complexions and proper statures that they were justly reputed and held to be the Paragons of Beautie not only of Apulia but of Italy so as beauty being the Gold and Diamonds of Nature this of theirs so sweet in its influence and so excellent and delicious in that sweetnesse drew all mens eyes to love them many mens hearts to adore them so had they beene as rich in Vertue as in Beauty they had lived more fortunate and neither their friends nor enemies should have lived to have seene them die so miserably for now that proves their ruine which might have beene their glory They are both of them sought in marriage by many Barons and Caviliers as well at home as abroad but the Captaine their father will not give care nor hearken to any nor once permit that such motion be moved him They are so immodest as they grieve hereat and are so extreamly sorrowfull to see that a few yeares past away makes their Beauties rather fade than flourish where Vertue graceth not Beauty as well as Beauty Vertue it is often 〈◊〉 presage and fore-runner of a fortune as fatall as miserable But as their thoughts were too impatient and immodest to give way to such incontinent and irrigular conceits so on the other side the Captaine their father was too severe and withall too unkind I may say cruell to hinder them from Marriage sith their beauty and age had long since made them both meritorious and capable of it It was in them immodesty in him unkindenesse to propose such ends to their desires and resolutions for as hee hath authority to exact obedience from them
Saint Saviours and that his name is Seignior Pedro de Castello which being as much as they sought for putting their seruants to watch ouer this foot-man that he might not escape to give the least inkling of their demands to his old Master Idiaques they presently send away poast to Saint Saviours for Castello and in honour to Justice these two Corigadors as Christian Magistrates having put all things in order for the vindication of the truth of these deplorable matters that very night Idiaques arrives at Coimbra and descends from his Coach to the house of one of these Corigadors where the dead body of his daughter Marsillia lay at whose mournfull fight as soone as his passionate griefe and sorrow had caused him to shed and sacrifice many rivolets of teares when hee least dreames or thinks therof these two Corigadors cause him to be seized on and instantlycommit him close prisoner without acquainting him with the cause hereof where all that night his guilty heart and conscience as so many Fiends and Furies assuring him that it was for poysoning of his owne Lady Honoria there horror and terrour griefe and despaire and sorrow and anguish doe act their severall parts upon the Theatre of his soule The next morne Castello Mathurina's father likewise arrives to Coimbra to whom the Corigadors communicate this Letter of Don Ivan to his wife which he sent her from Spaine wherein they tell him the murther of his daughter Mathurina seemes probably and strongly to reflect upon Idiaques and his daughter in law Marsillia when they farther acquainting him with her tragicall death as also with his imprisonment Castello with a world of teares and cries exclaimes that undoubtedly they were the authours if not the actors of his daughters lamentable murther and so very passionately and sorrowfully craves justice of them on Idiaques for the same which they are as willing to grant and performe as hee to desire So after dinner in the publike Tribunall of Justice they send for Idiaques legally and juridically there to appeare before them where this sorrowfull father with much passion and more teares doth strongly accuse him for the murther committed and perpetrated on his daughter Mathurina the which Idiaques with many high and stout answers denieth he alleageth many oylie words and sugred and silken phrases to justifie and Apologize his innocencie Which these Corigadors led by the finger of God hold rather to be far more ayrie than solide and farre more plausible than reall or true so they still remembring his sonne Don Ivans Letter to his wife Marsillia doe without regard to his quality or age adjudge him to the Racke The which Idiaques fearing infinitely more the murther of his owne Lady Honoria than that of Mathurina endures the tortures and torments thereof with a fortitude and resolution farre beyond his strength and age and with an admirable constancie stands firmly to the deniall of this fact and accusation so seeing the Racke taken away and himselfe from the Racke he is therefore very confident and joyfull that his danger is likewise o're past and o're blowne But these vaine hopes of his will yet both deceive and in the end betray him for as yet his conscience hath not made peace with God For the griefes sorrowes of this mournfull father for this lamentable murther of his daughter have now made him both industrious in his solicitation and religious in this his prosecution against Idiaques towards these Corigadors to whom againe he becomes an earnest and yet an humble Petitioner that they will give him eight dayes time more to fortifie his accusation and that all that time he may still remaine prisoner without Baile or Surety which they finding reasonable and consonant to all equity and law they freely grant him When Castello having God for his Councellor and whom in a small time Idiaques shall finde for his Judge calling to minde some words of his deceased daughter touching the suspition of poysoning her old Lady by her Husband to make way for this match with Don Ivan hee doth no more accuse him for murthering of his daughter Mathurina but some two dayes after he frames and presents a new Inditement and accusation to his Judges against him for poysoning his old wife the Lady Honoria Which these Judges admiring and wondering at they then partly nay almost confidently beleeve that there is some great crime and foule fact in this businesse against Idiaques which God will in fine detect and bring to light by the solicitation and industry of this honest poore Gentleman Castello So they admit againe of his second Inditement against him and by vertue hereof convent him before them at their Tribunall of Justice Idiaques understanding hereof his guilty conscience now denounceth such thundering peales of feare and amazement to his appalled heart and trembling soule as they will give no peace either to himselfe or them and the Devill who had ever heretofore promised him his best aid and assistance now flies from him and leaves him to stand or fall to himselfe And here it is that his courage begins to faile him and that his feare and shame is almost resolved and ready to proclaime himselfe guilty of this his last and worst accusation the poysoning of his owne wife the Lady Honoria But againe the hope of life is yet so sweet to him as the feare of death is displeasing and bitter and therefore with a wretched resolution and a miserable confidence he againe artificially endevoureth to bleare the eyes of these his Judges with his chiefest Eloquence and sweetest Oratory who having given him his ful carreer to speake in his owne defence and justification when they perfectly knew he yet spake not one valuable word or reason either to defend or justifie himselfe Then one of these cleere-sighted Corigadors in the behalfe of both of them returnes him this grave reply and pious exhortation That as they have not the will to accuse him so they have not the meanes or power to excuse him for being at least accessary to both or either of these murthers of his Lady Honoria or Mathurina that the sudden death of the first and the violent and untimely one of the last the voluntary absence of his sonne Don Ivan in Spaine with his killing of De Perez there and now the fearefull and lamentable end of his daughter in law Marsillia whose body is yet unbursed and her blood scarce cold left a dangerous reflexion and a pernitious suspition on his life and actions at least of Adulterie and Incest if not of Murther whereof his Sonne Don Ivans Letter which hee writ to his wife Marsillia which they have there to shew isa most strong and pregnant witnesse and that the least of these crimes are capable to ruine a greater personage than himselfe That he could cast no mist of delusion before Gods eyes though he artificially endevoured and laboured to cast a vaile before theirs That the shedding of innocent blood
Dorilla receiving this Letter from Castruchio she puts it into her purse and promiseth him her best care and fidelity for the delivery thereof to Seignior Borlari although she confesseth that she neither knew him nor his house But see here the providence and mercy of God which cleerely resplends and shines in the deportment and action of this beastly old bawd for she meeting with some of her gamesters and gossips in the street though contrary to the custome of Italy away they goe to a taverne where they all swill their head and braines with wine especially Dorilla So the day being farre spent her businesse for Castruchio is ended ere begun for shee forgetting her selfe cannot remember his letter but as fast as her reeling legges will permit her away shee speedes towards her owne house which was some halfe a mile off in the Citty But when she was in the streets and had a little taken the aire then she cals Castruchios letter to minde and her promise to him to deliver it but to whom through her cups she hath quite forgotten for she cannot once hiâ—… on the name Borlari But at last remembring the letter to be in her purse and she by this time in the midst of the Citty she takes it out in her hand seeing a faire yet sorrowfull young Lady to stand at the street doore of her house all in mourning attire and no body neere her after she had done her duty to her she reacheth her the letter and humbly requesteth her to tell her the Gentlemans name to whom it was directed when God out of the profundity of his power and immensity of his pleasure having so ordained and ordered it that this faire young Lady was our sweet Felisanna who for the death of her deere husband Planeze had dighted her selfe al in mourning attire and apparel thereby the better to make it correspond with her heart who reading the superscription therof and finding it directed to Seignior Borlari by some motion or inspiration from heaven her heart could not refrain from sending all the bloudof her body into her face when demanding of this woman from whom this letter came Dorilla as drunke in her fidelity and innocency as shee was guilty of her drunkennesse tels her that the letter came from an Apothecary who lay in prison named Castruchio At the very repetition of which name our Felisanna againe blusheth and then palleth as if God had some newes to reveale her by this Letter because shee remembreth that this Castruchio as we have formerly understood was the very same Apothecary who gave her husband Planeze physicke a little before his death Whereupon she praying Dorilla to come with her into her house because she purposly and politikely affirmed she could not read written hand herselfe but would pray her father to doe it she leaves her in the utter hall and herselfe goes into the next roome where breaking up the seales of this letter she at the very first sight and knowledge that her husband was poysoned and by whom and that God had now miraculously revealed it to her through the ignorance and drunkennesse of this old woman she for meere griefe and sorrow is ready to fall to the ground in a swoone had not her father and some of his servants who over hearing her passionate outcries come speedily to her assistance which yet could not awake Dorilla who had no sooner sate her selfe downe in a chaire in the hall but being top heavy with wine she presently fell a sleepe Miniata rousing up his fainting and sorrowfull daughter brought her againe to herselfe and seeing her in a bitter agonie and passion of sorrow demands of her the cause thereof when the brinish teares trickling downe her virmilion cheekes she crossing her armes and fixing her eyes towards heaven had the will but not the power to speake a word to him but reacheth him the Letter to read Miniata perusing it is as much astonished with griefe as his daughter is afflicted with sorrow at this poysoning of her Husband and his sonne in Law Planeze so enquiring of her who brought her this letter she after many sighes and pauses tels him that it was the mercy and providence of the Lord who sent it her by a drunken woman who was forth in the Hall They both goe to her and finding her fast sleeping and snoring Miniata puls her by the sleeve and wakes her and then demands of her before his daughter and servants where and from whom she had this letter who as drunke as this Baud is she is constant in her first speech and confession to Felisanna that she had it from Castruchio an Apothecary who lay in prison but she had forgotten to whom she was to deliver it and then prayes them both to deliver and give her backe her letter againe But Miniata seeing and knowing that it was the immediate finger of God which thus strangely had revealed this murther of his sonne in Law Planeze he calls in two Gentlewomen his next neighbours to comfort his daughter Felisanna and so leaving Dorilla to the guard of two of his servants he with two other Gentlemen his neighbours takes his Coach and having Castruchio's Letter in his hand he drives away to the State-house where he findes out the Podestate and Prefect of the Citie and shewing them the Letter which revealed the poysoning and poysoners of Planeze his sonne in Law they in honour to justice and out of their respect to the sorrowfull Lady his daughter take their Coaches and returne with Miniata home to his house Where they first examine Felisanna and then Dorilla who is constant in her first deposition Whereat these grave and honourable Personages wondring and admiring that a Gentleman of Barlari his ranke and quality should make himselfe the guilty and bloudy Authour of so foule a Murther they likwise admiring and blessing Gods providence in the detection thereof doe presently send away their Isbieres or Serjeants to apprehend Borlari and so they goe to their Forum or seat of Iustice and speedily send away for Castruchio to be brought from the prison before them Who at the very first newes of their accusation of him and the producing of his Letter to Borlari he curseth the person and name of this old Bawd Dorilla who is the prime Authour of his overthrow and death and then confesseth himselfe to be the Actor and Seignior Borlari to be the Authour cause and Instigator of this his poysoning of Planeze but never puts his hand on his conscience and soule that the strange detection of this lamentable murther came directly from Heaven and from God The Serjeants by order from the Podestate and Prefect finde Borlari in his owne house ruffling in a new rich suit of apparrell of blacke Sattin trimmed with gold buttons which he that day put on and the next was determined to ride to the City of Bergamo to seeke in marriage a very rich young widdow whose Husband lately died
saw or knew them May wee reade this their History first to the honour of God and then to our owne Instruction and reformation That the sight and remembrance of these their punishments may deterre us from the impiety and inhumanity of perpetrating the like bloudy crimes Amen GODS REVENGE AGAINST THE CRYING AND Execrable sinne of Murther Lorenzo murthereth his wife Fermia Hee some twenty yeares after as altogether unknowne robbeth his and her sonne Thomaso who likewise not knowing Lorenzo to be his father doth accuse him for that robbery for which he is hanged THose who by the pernitious instigation and fatall temptation of Sathan doe wilfully imbrue their hands in innocent bloud and so make themselves guilty of murther are no longer men but have prodigiously metamorphosed themselves into the nature and quality of devils And as after this their crime they are worthy of all true christians detestation so most commonly without Gods saving grace and mercy their hearts are so obdurated with impenitency of security and their soules seared up and abandoned to all kinds of atheisticall prophannesse and impiety that they are so far from thinking of God as they beleeve there is no God and so far from fearing of his judgements and punishments as they are desperately confident they have not deserved any But because their hearts and actions are as transparent to Gods eyes and knowledge as Gods decrees and resolution are invisible to theirs therefore despight this their blindnesse and the devils malice and subtilty to obscure and conceale it this world will affoord them no true peace nor this life produce them any perfect tranquility But wheresoever they goe or live their guilty thoughts and consciences as so many hellish bloudhounds will incessantly persue and follow them till in the end they drag them to condigne shame misery and confusion for the same which this subsequent history will verifie and make good to us in a wretched and execrable personage whom it mournefully presents to our view and consideration Let us read it in the feare of God that we may weigh that benefit by it which becomes good Christians to make IT is not the meannesse of the personages but the greatnesse and eminence of Gods Judgements which hath prevailed with me to give this History a place among my others The which to draw from the head-spring and originall we must understand that in Italy the Garden of Europe as Europe is that of the whole world and in the City of Genova seated upon the Mediterranean Sea which the Italians for the sumptuousnesse and statelinesse of her buildings doe justly stile and entitle proud Genova neare unto the Arsenall upon the Key there dwelt of late yeares a proper tall young man of a coale blacke haire some twenty five yeares old named Andrea Lorenzo who by his trade was a Baker and was now become Master of his profession and kept forth his Oven and shop for himselfe wherein he was so industrious and provident that in a short time he became one of the prime Bakers of that City and wrought to many Ships and Galleyes of this Estate and Seigniory He in few yeares grew rich was proffered many wives of the daughters of many wealthy Bakers and other Artificers of Genova but he was still covetous and so addicted to the world as he could fancy none nor as yet be resolved or perswaded to seeke any maid or widdow in marriage sith hee knew it to be one of the greatest and most important actions of our life and which infallibly drawes with it either our chiefest earthly felicity or misery But as marriages are made in heaven before consummated on earth So Lorenzo going on a time to the City of Savona which both by Sea and Land is some twenty little miles from Genova and heretofore was a free City and Estate of it selfe but now swallowed up in the power and opulencie of that of Genova he there fell in love with a rich Vintners daughter her father named Iuan Baptista Moron and shee Firmia Moron who was a lovely and beautifull young maiden of some eighteene yeares of age being tall and slender of a pale complection and a bright yellow haire but exceedingly vertuous and religious and endowed with many sweet qualities and perfections who althouhh she were sought in marriage by divers rich young men of very good families of that City with the worst of whom either for estate or extraction Lorenzo might no way compare yet shee could fancie none but him and hee above all the men of the world she secretly in her heart and minde desired might be her Husband Lorenzo with order and discretion seeks Fermia in mariage of her father Moron who is too strong of purse and to high of humour to match his daughter to a Baker or to any other of a mechanicall profession and so gives him a flat and peremptory deniall But Lorenzo finds his daughter more courteous and kinde to his desires for she being as deeply enamoured of his personage as he was of her beauty and vertues after a journey or two which he had made to her at at Savona she consents and yeelds to him to be his wife conditionally that hee can obtaine her fathers good will thereunto but not otherwise which Lorenzo yet feared and doubted would prove a difficult taske for him to compasse and procure for her father knowing Fermia to be his owne and onely childe and daughter and that her beautie and vertuous education together with the consideration of his owne wealth and estate made her every way capable of a farre better husband than Lorenzo As also that his daughter in reason and religion and by the lawes of heaven and earth was bound to yeeld him all duty and obedience because of him she had formerly received both life and being therefore he was resolute that Lorenzo should not have his daughter to wife neither would he ever hearken to accept or consent to take him for his sonne in Law Lorenzo having thus obtained the heart and purchased the affection of his sweet and deare Fermia he now out of his fervent desire and zeale to see her made his wife and himselfe her husband makes it both his ambition and care according to her order to drawher father Moron to consent thereunto wherein the more importunate humble and dutifull he both by himselfe friends is to Moron the more imperious averse and obstinate is he to Lorenzo as disdaining any farther to heare of this his suit and motion for his daughter But Lorenzo loves the daughter too tenderly and dearly thus to be put off with the first repulse and deniall of her father and so notwithstanding hee againe persevereth in his suit towards him with equall humility and resolution Hee requesteth his consent to their affections with prayers and his daughter Fermia having formerly acquainted her father with her deare and inviolable love to Lorenzo she now prayes him thereto with teares But as one who
so odious as Nature cannot excuse and so diabolicall as no Clemencie can pardon And yet this age and this world is but too plentifull and fertile of such bloudy Tigers and inhumane Monsters and Butchers of mankinde as if they had not a Conscience within them to accuse them a God above them to condemne them and a Hell below them to punish them or as if they had not the sacred Oracles of Gods eternall Word I meane the Law and the Gospell and the blessed Precepts and Doctrine of the holy Prophets and Apostles yea of Christ Iesus himselfe the great Shepherd and sacred Bishop of our soules to teach us the rules of Mercie Meekenesse and Long-suffering whiles wee live in this vale of misery here below and that wee must imbrace and follow Peace and Charity with all men if ever wee thinke to participate of the true felicity and joyes of Heaven above But neverthelesse yea directly contrary hereunto this insuing History will produce us one who though sufficiently instructed in the rules of Piety and Charity yet hee wilfully abandoned the first and contemned the second by cruelly and unnaturally imbruing his hands in innocent bloud for the which wee shall see that hee in the end suffereth a severe and shamefull death May we reade this History to the glory of God and the instruction of our selves THe Scene of this History is layd in Spayne in the famous Province of old Castile and in the faire and ancient City of Burgos where lately dwelt a noble and rich old Gentlewoman termed Dona Catherina Aâ—…z a Sirname much knowne and famous in that City Province and Kingdome who had by her deceased Husband Don Roderigo de Ricaldo two sonnes Don Pedro and Don Martino and one Daughter named Dona Cecilliana Her eldest sonne Don Pedro was a gallant Cavallier of some eight and twenty yeares of age tall and well-timbred by complexion and hayre blacke and of a swart and martiall countenance who for the space of seven yeares served as a voluntary Gentleman under that wise and valiant Commander Don Gonsalez de Cordova in Germany and against the Lords States of the Netherlands and since in the Voltoline and Millane against the Grisons and French In both which warres he left behind him many memorable testimonies of his prowesse and purchased divers honorable trophees of true valour and generosity but for any other intellectuall endowments of the minde hee was no scholler and but of an indifferent capacity yet very honest courteous and affable particularly to his friends and generally to all the world His Brother Don Martino was of some foure and twenty yeares of age short of stature very slender but crooke-back'd of an Aubrun hayre a withered face a squint eye of inclination extreamely sullen and of disposition and nature envious and revengefull as desirous rather to entertaine a night-quarrell in the street then a day-combate in the Field but as God is many times pleased to countervaile and reward the defects of nature in the body with some rich gifts and perfections of the mind so though not by profession yet by education he was an excellent Scholler of an active and sharpe wit a fluent tongue and singularly able either to allure or divert to perswade or disswade according as the streame of his different passions and affections led him Vertues enough relucent and excellent to build a fame and sufficient to rayse an eminent fortune if his former vices doe not too fatally eclipse the one and deface the other Their Sister Cecilliana aged of some twenty yeares was of an indifferent height but growing to corpulencie and fatnesse of a blacke hayre an amiable browne complexion a big rolling eye and the ayre of her countenance rather beautifully amorous then modestly beautifull Shee was of a nimble wit of humour pleasant and facetious yet so reserved in the externall demonstration thereof that through her Mothers pious and austere education of her shee in all outward semblance seemed rather to bee fit for a Nunnery then a Husband and more proper to make a Saint then a Wife but as the face proves not still a true Index of the heart nor our lookes and speeches still a true Sybile of our soules so how retired soever her Mother kept her from the company of men yet her wanton eye conspiring with her lascivious heart made her the more desirous thereof and farre the more licentiously in regard shee was strictly forbidden it so as not to contradict or dissemble the truth I am here inforced to relate and affirme that shee imparteth her favours upon two or three young Gentlemen of that Citie of her private acquaintance and is more familiar with them then modesty can well warrant or chastity allow of But there is a young Gallant of this City likewise more noble by birth then rich in estate and meanes named Don Balthazar de Monfredo who deeming Cecilliana as famous for her chastity as for her beauty beares a singular affection to her yea his heart and thoughts are so fervently intangled in the snares of her delicious beauty that in publicke and private in his desires and wishes and in his speech and actions he proclaimes her to bee his Mistresse and himselfe her servant and if hee affect and desire Cecilliana for his Wife no lesse doth shee Monfredo for her Husband so that they many times by stealth meet and conferre privately in remote Churches and Chappell 's it being rather a prophane then a religious custome of Spaine wherein Heaven is too much made to stoope to Earth and Religion to Impiety for men to court their intended wives and which is worse many times their Courtizans and Strumpets Cecilliana oftentimes warranted by her Mothers indisposition can no sooner take Coach to injoy the pleasure and benefit of the fresh ayre abroad in the fragrant fields but Monfredo assuredly meets her where leaping from his Coach into hers and leaving his Page to accompany her Wayting-gentle woman in his own they at first familiarly kisse and confer and in a few of these meetings at last effectually resolve to give themselves each to other in the sacred bonds of marriage so he gives her a rich Diamond ring and she reciprocally returnes him a paire of Gold bracelets in token of marriage and they then and there calling God to witnes very solemnly contract themselves man and wife yet for some solid reasons and important considerations which conduce to the better accomplishing of their desires they for a time conclude to beare it secretly and silently from all the world and it is concluded and agreed betweene them that a moneth after and not before hee shall attempt to seeke her publikely in marriage both of her Mother the Lady Catherina as also of her two Brothers Don Pedro and Don Martino So when this moneth is past over which to these out two Lovers seemes to be many ages Monfredo very fairely and orderly seekes her of her Mother in marriage and
them both when firmely purposing to prevent it and so to crosse his Mother and Brother who herein delight and glory to crosse him hee bethinkes himselfe of an invention worthy of himselfe how and which way to effect it Hee sends for Don Alonso Delrio to the Cordeliers Church and there relates him the friendship he beares him that hee will not see him runne himselfe into an errour in seeking his Sister Cecilliana in marriage whom hee knowes he cannot possibly obtayne Shee to his knowledge beeing already firmely contracted to Monfredo notwithstanding all that his Mother and Brother Don Martino have sayd or can doe to the contrary Delrio heartily thankes Don Pedro for the expression of this love to him the which he affirmes he shall ever finde him ready both to deserve and requite when measuring the time future by the present and of Cecilliana's blooming youth by his weather-beaten and blasted age hee vowes to Don Pedro that hee will henceforth no more desire or seeke his Sister in marriage nor yet speake with her or come neere his Mother or Brother so that businesse is for ever dashed and receives an end almost as soone as a beginning The which Don Martino out of his deepe reach and politicke pate understanding and knowing that this falling off of Delrio from farther seeking his Sister in marriage proceeded wholly from the secret underminig of his Brother Don Pedro he is extreamly in choller against him for the same and so with more passion then discretion goes and chargeth him herewith Whereupon these two Brothers fall at great contention and variance and many bitter words and outragious speeches here interchangeably passe betweene them the repetition whereof I thinke good to bury in silence because it matters not much to give it a place in this History onely to deale on generalls I must say that Don Pedro was high and Don Martino hot and that the first spake not so much as hee dared and the last dared not so much as hee spake But this tongue combate of theirs was so violent and blusterous as the issue thereof redounding to Don Pedro's glory and generosity and to Don Martino's shame and basenesse and Martino finding that he had more will then power to bee now revenged hereof on his brother hee is inflamed with choller and revenge against him for the same as consulting with Satan not with God hee is so revengefull and inhumane as hee wisheth his sayd brother in heaven and from thenceforth plotteth with himselfe how to finish it reasoning thus uncharitably and damnably with himselfe That hee being dead and his sister pent and mewed up in a Nunnery hee shall then bee sole heire and Lord to all the Lands and Estate which his Father left him Thus in the heat of his choller and the fumes of his revenge against his brother Don Pedro hee repayres to his Mother informes her how it is hee and his policie which hath beaten off Delrio from seeking his sister Cecilliana in marriage and that through his close treacherous dealing hee hath prevayled with him for ever to abandon her yea hee here leaves no invention unassayed to intense his mother against his brother nor meanes unattempted to inflame her against his sister by still putting her in minde of his rashnesse towards Delrio and 〈◊〉 her disobedience towards her selfe and here hee remembring his owne aâ—…ritious ends doth againe modestly perswade and then againe importunately â—…ay his mother to constitute her to a Nunnery whereunto as we have formerâ—… understood hee knowes shee is already resolutely bent and resolved When shee being vanquished with her owne desires and his importunity promiseth him very shortly to effect it But first shee sends for her Sonne Don Pedro and in a language of thunder rebukes and checkes him for his double crime in disswading Delrio from so suddainly forsaking his sister and in perswading so strongly to affect Monfredo adding withall that notwithstanding his treachery and policie and her ingratefull disobedience to her shee is inviolably resolved shortly to send â—…onfredo to seeke another wife and to give and betake her to no other Husband then a Nunnery Don Pedro holding it his duety to entertain this choller and these speeches of his mother rather with modesty then passion returnes her this answer that hee hath nor sayd nor done any thing to Delrio but what hee can well justifie with his obedience to her and his honour to the whole world that his affection to his sisters present content and care of her future prosperity makes him assume this beliefe and confidence that Delrio is as unworthy of her as shee worthily bestowed on Don Monfredo and therefore that it is both pitty and shame that the wealth of the first should bee preferred to the nobility and generosity of the second hee prayes her to consider that as Cecilliana is her daughter so shee is his sister and that hee is so well acquainted with her disposition and secrets as not to dissemble her the truth hee holds her farre more fit to make a Wife then a Nunne and a Nunnery therefore every way to bee improper for her and shee for it that he is not ignorant that it is the policie or rather the malice of his brother Don Martino which hath wrought these false impressions in her beliefe against himselfe and this her uncharitable resolution against his sister for which base treachery and ingratitude of his if hee thought him as worthy of his care as hee knowes hee is of his scorne hee would not faile to call him to a strict account for the same but that Nature and Grace prescribe him contrary rules Dona Catherina beeing farre more capable to distaste then to relish this bold answer of her Sonne Don Pedro and contenting her selfe to have now delivered him her minde and resolution at full she leaves him and findes out his brother Martino to whom shee punctually relates what had past betweene her and his brother Don Pedro whereat hee is afresh so netled with choller and inflamed with revenge against him as what before hee hath desperately plotted and resolved against his life hee now vowes and sweares shortly to execute whereat his bloudy thoughts without intermission aime and tend and next thereunto hee desires nothing so much as to see his Sister made a vowed and vayled Sister Whiles thus his mother and himself are deep in conference and busie in consultation how to effect and compasse these their different designes Don Pedro goes to his sister Cecilliana findes out Monfredo and to them both sincerely delivers what hath past betweene his mother his brother and himselfe in their behalfes yea it is a jest both worthy and well beseeming his laughter to see how betweene earnest and jest hee tells his sister in presence of her lover Monfredo that shee must shortly prepare her selfe for a Nunnery for that their brother Don Martinâ—… hath decreed it and their mother Dona Catherina sworne it At this pleasant passage
and conceipt of Don Pedro Cecilliana cannot refraine from blushing nor Monfredo from smiling for looking each on other with the eyes of one and the saâ—… tender affection and constancie hee smiles to see her blush and shee againe blusheth to see him smile hereat here shee tells her brother Don Pedro plainely and hâ—… lover Monfredo pleasantly that shee will deceive her mothers hopes and her brother Don Martino's desires in thinking to make her a cloystered Sister when 〈◊〉 gaine metamorphosing the snow-white lillies of her cheekes into blushing damaâ—… roses shee with a modest pleasantnesse directing her speech to Monfredo who then lovingly led her in the Garden by her arme tells him that his house should bee the Nunnery his armes the Cloyster and himselfe the Saint to whom till death shee was ready to profer up and sacrifice both her affection and her selfe that as shee did not hate but love the profession of a Nunne in others so for his sake shee could not love but hate it in her selfe adding withall that for proofe and confirmation hereof if it were his pleasure shee was both ready and willing to put her selfe into his protection and to repose her honour in the confidence of his faithfull affection and integrity towards her Monfredo first kissing her then infinitely thankes her for this true demonstration of her deare and constant affection to him when againe intermixing kisses with smiles and smiles with kisses hee sweares to her in presence of God and her brother Don Pedro that if the Lady her mother wholly abandon her or resolve to commit her to a Nunnery he will receive and entertain her in his poore house with delight and joy and preserve her honour equally with his owne life and that in all things as well for the time present as the future hee will steere his actions by the starre of her desire and the compasse of her present brother Don Pedro's commands for which free and faithfull courtesie of his Cecilliana thankes him and no lesse doth Don Pedro who in requitall hereof makes him a generall and generous tender of his best power and service to act and consummate his desires and so for that time and with this resolution they part each from other leaving the progresse of their affections and the successe thereof partly to time but chiefely to God whom they all religiously invocate to blesse their designes in hand Leave wee them for a while and come wee now againe cursorily to speake of their mother Dona Catherina and of Don Martino their brother who being the oracle from whom shee derives and directs all her resolutions shee is still constant to her selfe and therfore still vehemently bent against her son Don Pedro her daughter Cecilliana and Monfredo swearing both solemnely and seriously that shee will rather dye then live to see him her sonne in law and yet whatsoever Don Martino doe say or can alledge to her to the contrary shee yet loves Don Alonso Delrio so well and her daughter Cecilliana so dearely that before she will attempt to cloyster her up in a Nunnery shee hoping to reclayme him to affect her and to revive his sute of marriage doth by a Gentleman her servant send him this Letter CATHERINA to DELRIO I Am wholly ignorant why thou thus forsakest thy affection and sute to my Daughter Cecilliana whereof before I am resolved by thee I have many reasons to suspect and thinke that it was as feigned as thy promises and oaths pretended it to befervent Sure I 〈◊〉 that as Envie cannot eclipse the fame of her vertues towards the world so Truth dare â—…t contradict the sincerity of my well wishes and affection towards thee in desiring to make thee her Husband and her thy Wife Her poore beauty which thou so often sworest thy â—…art so dearely admired and adored hath lost no part of its lustre but is the same still and 〈◊〉 am I who have ever wished and ever will faithfully desire that of all men of the world â—…y selfe onely may live to injoy it If thou thinke her affection bee bent any other way 〈◊〉 dost her no right but offer a palpable wrong to thine owne judgement and to my knowledge Or if thou imagine the Portion be too small which I promised to give and thou to â—…ceive with her in marriage thou shalt command that augmentation from me which none 〈◊〉 thy selfe shall eyther have cause to request or power to obtayne yea thou shalt finde that for the finishing and consummating of so good a worke which thou so much deservest and I so much desire I will willingly bee contented to inrich her fortunes with the impoverishing of mine owne If thou send me thine Answer hereunto I shall take it for an argument of thy unkindnesse but if thou bring it thy selfe I will esteeme it as one of thy true respects and affection to mee CATHERINA Don Martino being solicited and charged by his Lady mother likewise to write effectually to Delrio to returne to seeke his sister Cecilliana in marriage yet notwithstanding drawne thereunto for his owne covetous ends secretly to desire and wish that hee might never marry her but shee a Nunnery hee therefore to that effect writes and sends him a most dissembling and hypocriticall Letter by the same messenger to accompany hers but hee is so reserved and fine as hee purposely conceales the sight and reading thereof from his mother This Letter of his which was as false and double as himselfe reported this language MARTINO to DELRIO MY duety ever obliging mee to esteeme my Mothers requests as commands I therefore adventure thee this Letter as desiring to know who or what hath so suddainly withdrawne thee or thy affection from my Sister Cecilliana Thou canst not bee ignorant of my hearty well-wishes and love to thee in obtayning her to thy wife and yet it is not possible for thee to conceive much lesse believe the hundreth part of the bitter speeches which I have beene inforced to receive and packe up from her and my Brother Don Pedro for desiring and wishing it I know that inforced affections prove commonly more fatall then fortunate and more ruinous then prosperous therefore I am so farre from any more perswading thee to seeke her in marriage that I leave each of you to your selves and both unto God And to the end thou mayst see how much the Lady my Mother affects thy sute and distastes that of Monfredo to my sister she upon thy forbearance and absence hath vowed unto God that if thou bee not hee shall not but a Nunnery must bee her Husband My Mother is desirous to see thee and my selfe to speake with thee but because Marriages ought first to bee made in Heaven before consummated in Earth therefore thou knowest farre better then my selfe that in all actions especially in Marriage it is the duety of a Christian to wait on Gods secret Providence and to attend his sacred pleasure with patience MARTINO Delrio receives and
reades these two Letters and consulting them with his judgement findes that they looke two different wayes for Dona Catherina the mother would marry her daughter to himselfe but not to Monfredo and her sonne Martino aymes and desireth to have her marryed to a Nunnery and not to himselfe wherein wealth and covetousnesse are the chiefest ends and ambition of them both without having any respect to the young Ladies content or regarâ—… to her satisfaction and although the speech which Don Pedro delivered him iâ—… the Cordeliers or Gray Friers Church have so much wrought with his affection and so powerfully prevailed with his resolution that hee will no fartheâ—… seeke Cecilliana in marriage yet in common courtesie and civility hee holds him selfe bound to answer their two Letters the which hee doth and returnes theâ—… by their owne messenger That to the Lady Catherina had these words DELRIO to CATHERINA THough you suspect my sincerity yet if you will believe the truth you shall finde that the affection which I intended the Lady Cecilliana your daughter was fervent not feigned and because you are desirous to know the reasons why I forbeare to seeke her in marriage I can give you no other but this that I know shee is too worthy to bee my wife and believe that I am not worthy enough to bee her husband so though envie should dare to bee so ignorant yet it cannot possible bee so malicious either to eclipse the lustre of her beauty or the fame of her vertues sith the one is so sweete a grace to the â—…ther and both so precious ornaments to her selfe that infinite others besides my selfe hold it as great a prophanenesse not to adore the last as a happinesse to see and admire the first For your affection in desiring my selfe hers and shee mine in marriage I can give you no other requitall but thankes for the present and my prayers and service for the future How your daughter hath or will dispose of her affection God and her selfe best know and therefore I shall doe her right and your knowledge and my judgement no wrong rather to proclaime my ignorance then my curiosity herein but this I assure you that if hers to mee had equallized mine to hers I should then thankfully have taken and joyfully received her with a farre lesse portion then you would have given mee with her To your selfe I wish much prosperity and to the Lady your daughter all happinesse I must returne you this mine answer by mine owne servant and whether you make it an argument of my unkindnesse 〈◊〉 affection in pleasing your selfe you shall no way displease mee DELRIO His Letter to Don Martino spake thus DELRIO to MARTINO I Have by my Letter given the Lady thy mother the reasons why I desist from any farther seeking thy sister Cecilliana in marriage and because I know shee will acquaint thee therewith therefore I hope they will suffise both for thee and her I am as thankefull to thee for thy well wishes to have obtained her for my wife as I grieve to understand that thou hast received any bitter speeches either from her or thy brother don Pedro for my sake It rejoyceth mee to see thee of the opinion that inforced marriages proove commonly fatall and ruinous in which beliefe and truth if thou and thy mother persevere I hope you will espouse your sister to don Monfredo and not to a Nunnery because if I am not misinformed her affections suggest and assure her that shee shall receive as much content from the first as misery from the second As thy mother is desirous to see mee so am I to serve her and likewise thy selfe and as thou writest religiously and truely that Marriages should first bee made in heaven ere solemnized in earth so doubtlesse God hath reserved thy sister for a farre better husband then Delrio and him for a â—…rre worse wife then Cecilliana And thus as a Christian I recommend her with â—…ale to the Providence and my selfe with Patience to the Pleasure of Almighty God DELRIO When in regard of his former affection and future respect devoted to the â—…eautie and vertues of Cecilliana and seeing her selfe her Mother and Brother Don Martino bent to dispose otherwise of her in marriage he will yet be so jealous of her good and so carefull of his owne honour and reputation as hee holds himselfe obliged to take his leave of her by Letter sith not in person and so to recommend her and her good fortunes to God the which he doth and gives his Letter to the same bearer but with a particular charge and secret instructions to deliver it very privately into the Lady Cecillianas hands without the knowledge either of her mother or brother don Martino which hee faithfully promised to performe His said Letter to her was charged with these lines DELRIO to CECILLIANA BEing heretofore informed by your brother don Pedro of your deare affection to don Monfredo and your constant resolution to make him your husband I held my selfe bound out of due regard to you and firme promise to him to surcease my sute to you and because the shortest errours are ever best no more to strive to make impossibilities possible in persevering to seeke you in marriage whom I see heaven and earth have conspired another must obtaine and injoy And when I looke from my age to your youth and from that to Monfredo's I am so farre from condemning your choyce as I both approve and applaud it praying you to bee as resolute in this confidence as I am confident in this resolution that my best prayers and wishes shall ever wish you the best prosperities And to the â—…d you may perceive that my former affection shall still resplend and shine to you in my future respect I cannot I will not conceale the knowledge of this truth from you that by Letters which right now by this bearer I received from the Lady your mother and brother don Martino they have some exorbitant and irregular designe in contemplation shortly to reduce into action against the excellencie of your youth and beautie and the sweetnesse of your content and tranquillity which howsoever to your selfe and the world they seeme to shadow and overvaile with false colours yet although they make religion the pretext you if you speedily prevent it not will in the end finde that their malice to your lover Monfredo is the true and onely cause thereof God hath indued you with a double happinesse in giving you an excellent wit to second and imbellish your exquisite beauty whereunto if in this businesse you take the advice of your best friend Monfredo and follow that of your noble brother Don Pedro you will then have no cause to doubt but all the reasons of the world to assure your selfe that your affections and fortunes will in the end succeed according to my prayers and your merits and expectation DELRIO The Messenger first publikely delivereth the two former Letters to
Sky if not many degrees beyond the Moone so the day appoynted for her entrance and reception drawing neere the Lady Abbesse is dealt with by her Mother her Cell provided her Spirituall apparell made all her kinsfolkes and chiefe friends invited to a solemne Feast to celebrate this our new Holy Sisters marriage to God and the Church But whiles thus dona Catherina the mother and don Martino her sonne are exceeding busie about the preparation and solemnity of this Spirituall businesse don Pedro and Monfredo resolve to runne a contrary course and so to steale away Cecilliana the very night before the prefixed day of her entrance into the Nunnery as holding that Saturday night the fittest time and most voyd of all suspicion and feare whereof both by tongue and letter they give her exact and curious notice which striking infinite joy to her heart and thoughts shee accordingly makes her selfe ready packes up all her Iewells and Bracelets in a small Casket and acquainting none of the world therewith for that her brother don Pedro's chamber was next to hers and hee as vigilant and watchfull as her selfe for Monfredo's comming about midnight which was the appoynted houre for his Rendevouz when at last both their severall Watches in their severall Chambers assuring them that it was neere one of the clocke it being the dead of the night none of the house stirring but all hushed up in silence as if every thing seemed to conspire to her escape and flight then I say don Pedro issues forth his Chamber to hers where the doore being a little open and her candle put our hee findes his sister ready when conducting her by the arme they softly descend the stayres and so to a Posterne doore of the Garden where they finde Monfredo joyfully ready to receive the Queene regent of his heart assisted with two valiant confident Gentlemen his friends who were well mounted on excellent horses with their swords and Pistolls and for himselfe and her a Coach with sixe horses When briefely passing over their Complements and congees each from other they with a world of thankes leave don Pedro behinde them and so away as swift as the winde who seeing them gone secretly and softly returnes to his Chamber and bed silently shutting all the doores after him whiles Monfredo with his other selfe and his two friends drive away to Valdebelle a Mannor house of his some eight leagues from Burgos Don Pedro lyes purposely long in his bed the next morning thereby the better to colour out his ignorance and innocencie of his sisters Clandestine flight and escape So his mother about five or neere sixe of the clocke sends Felicia her daughters Wayting-gentlewoman to her Chamber to awake and apparell her to receive many young Ladies and Gentlewomen who were come to visit her and to take their leaves of her before her entrie into Gods house but Felicia speedily returnes to her with this unlookt-for answer That her Ladies Chamber doore is fast locked whereat shee hath many times call'd and knock'd aloud but heares no speech The mother is amazed hereat and no lesse rather more is her sonne don Martino so they both run to her Chamber and knocke and call aloud but hearing no answer they force open the doore where they finde the nest but the bird flowne away whereat the mother infinitely weeps and her sonne don Martino doth exceedingly rage and storme at this their afront and scandall he tells his mother he will ingage his life that his brother don Pedro is accessary to his sister Cecilliana's flight and gone with her so they both run to his Chamber but find him in his bed fast sleeping and snoring as hee pretends and they believe their outcries awake him but they shall finde him as subtile and reserved in his policie towards them as they were in their malice to his sister so he heares their newes puts on his apparell seemes to bee all in fire and choller hereat profereth his mother his best indeavours and power to recover his sister and to revenge himselfe on the villaine who hath stolne her away But his brother don Martino is so galled and netled at the escape of his sister and these words of his brother as hee tells him to his face in presence of their mother that his speeches and profers are counterfeit and himselfe a dissembler and that it is impossible but hee assisted and favoured her escape and departure for which uncivill and foule language of one brother to another don Pedro gives him the lye and seconds it with a boxe on the eare and then very cunningly betakes himselfe to consolate and comfort the Lady his mother who is not a little grieved and angry at this her second affliction and the more in regard hee did it in her presence so don Pedro reconducting her to her Chamber and leaving her weeping in company of many of their sorrowfull â—…folkes and neighbours hee then calls for his horse and under colour to finde out his sister hee rides to Valdebelle to her and Monfredo stayes there some eight dayes where being exceeding carefull of the preservation of his sisters honour and reputation hee before his departure sees them solemnly but secretly marryed where leaving them to their Nuptiall joyes and pleasures hee againe reâ—…es to Burgos and tells his Mother it is impossible for him to heare any newes of his sister And now what doth the returne sight and presence of don Pedro doe here in his mothers house at Burgos but onely revive his brother don Martino's old maâ—…e and new choller and revenge against him for the lye and boxe on the eare which hee so lately gave him For the remembrance thereof so inflames his heart and thoughts against him that hee forgetting his conscience and soule yea â—…ven and God as hee assumes and gives life to his former bloudy resolution to â—…ther him and thinkes no safer nor surer way for him to effect it then by â—…yson that ingredient of hell and drug of the Devill But don Martino is resoâ—…e in his rage and execrable in his bloudy malice and revenge against this his â—…erous and noble brother don Pedro so disdayning all thoughts of religion â—…d considerations of piety he procureth a paire of poysoned perfumed Gloves â—…d treacherously insinuating them into his brothers hands and wearing the fatall â—…enom'd sent thereof in lesse then two dayes poisoneth him so he is found dead â—…s bed when don Martino the more closely to overvaile this damnable fact 〈◊〉 his purposely gives it out that it was an Impostume which broke within him and so hee dyed suddainly thereof in his bed there being no servant of his owne nor none else that night neere him or by him to assist him and this report of his passeth currant with the world so the Lady his mother and himselfe cause him to bee buryed with more silence then solemnity and every way inferiour to his honourable birth and generous vertues because shee still affected
and loved don Martino farre better then him so his death did not much afflict or grieve her and farre lesse his brother don Martino But for his sister Cecilliana as soone as shee understood and heard hereof shee is so appalled with griefe and daunted with sorrow and despayre that shee sends a world of sighes to heaven and a deluge of teares to earth for the death of this her best and dearest brother Her husband don Monfredo for henceforth so wee must call him likewise infinitely laments don Pedro's death as having lost a constant friend and a deare and incomparable brother in law in him and yet all the meanes which hee can use to comfort this his sorrowfull wife hath will but not power enough to effect it for still shee weepes and sobs and still her heart and soule doe prompt and tell her that it is one brother who hath killd another and that her brother don Martino is infallibly the murtherer of his and her brother don Pedro but she hath onely presumption no proofes for this her suspicion and therefore shee leaves the detection and issue hereof to time and to God Now by this time wee must understand that dona Catherina hath perfect newes that it is Monfredo who hath stolne away her daughter Cecilliana and keepes her at his house of Valdebelle in the Countrey but as yet shee knowes not that hee hath marryed her wherefore being desirous of her returne not for any great affection which shee now bore her but onely to accomplish her former desires in frustrating her marriage with Monfredo and in marrying her to a Nunnery shee againe still provok'd and egg'd on by the advice of her sonne don Martino sends him to Valdebelle to crave her of Monfredo and so to perswade and hasten her returne to her to Burgos but writes to neither of them Don Martino arrives thither and having delivered don Monfredo and his sister Cecilliana his mothers message for her returne to Burgos hee then vainely presumes to speake thus to them from himselfe Hee first sharpely rebukes her of folly and disobedience in flying away from his and her mother and then with more passion then iudgement checkes him of dishonour to harbour and shelter her that this was not the true and right way to make her his wife but his strumpet or at least to give the world just cause to thinke so and if he intended to preserve her prosperity and honor and not to râ—…ine it that hee should restore his mother her daughter and himselfe his sister and no longer retayne her but speakes not a word of his brother don Pedro's death much lesse makes any shadow to mourne or shew to grieve or sorrow for it His sister Cecilliana at his first sight is all in teares for the death of her brother don Pedro and yet extreamly incens'd with him for these his base speeches towards her and her Monfredo she once thought to have given him a hot and chollericke reply but at last considering better with her selfe as also to prevent Monfredo whom she saw had an itching desire to fit him with his answer she then in generall termes returnes him this short reply That shee is now accomptable to none but to God for her actions who best knowes her heart and resolutions and therefore for her returne to her mother at Burgos or her stay here at Valdebelle shee wholly referres it to don Monfredo whose will and pleasure therein shall assuredly bee hers because shee hath and still findes him to bee a worthy and honourable Gentleman when before shee conclude her speech to him shee tells him that shee thought his comming had beene to condole with her for the death of their brother Don Pedro but that with griefe shee is now enforced to see the contrary in regard his speeches and actions tend to afflict not to comfort her and rather to bee the argument of her mourning than the cause of her consolation But Monfredo being touched to the quicke with these ignoble and base speeches of Don Martino both to himselfe and Cecilliana he is too generous long to digest them with silence and therefore preferring his affection to her before any other earthly respect and her reputation and honour dearer than his life hee composing his countenance to discontent and anger returnes him this answere That if any other man but himselfe had given him the least part of those unworthy speeches both against his honour as also against that of his sister Cecilliana his Rapier not his tongue should have answered him That his affection and respects to her are every way vertuous and honourable and that shee is and shall be more safer here in Valdebelle than the life of his noble brother Don Pedro was in his mothers house at Burgos That as the young Ladie his sister is pleased to referre her stay or returne to him so reciprocally to requite her courtesie doth hee to her and for his part hee is fully resolved not to perswade much lesse to advise her to put her selfe either into her Mothers protection or his courtesie for that hee is fearefull iâ—… not confident in this beliefe that the one may proove pernitious and the other fatall and ruinous to her And so with cold entertainment and short ceremonies Don Martino is enforced to returne to Burgos to his Mother without his Sister where assoone as hee is arrived hee tells his Mother of his Sister Cecilliana's constant resolution from whence hee thinkes it impossible to draw or divert her because he finds Monfredo of the same opinion but whether hee have married her or no hee knowes not neither could he informe himselfe thereof And here yet Don Martino is so cautious to his Mother as he speakes not a word or syllable of any speech or mention they had of the death of his brother Don Pedro. But as soone as hee had left his Mother and retyred himselfe to his chamber then hee thinkes the more thereof yea then hee againe and againe remembers what dangerous speeches he publikely received from his Sister Cecilliana and Monfredo concerning that his sudden death whereby they silently meant and tacitely implied no lesse than murther Wherefore hee is so helliâ—…h and bloudy minded that hee resolves shortly to provide a playster for this sore and hee knowes that to make their tongues eternally silent hee cannot better or safer performe it than by murthering them whereof hee sayes the reason is apparantly and pregnantly true for as long as that suspition lives in them hee therefore can never live in safetie but in extreame danger himselfe But because of the two Monfredo seemed to intend and portend him the greatest choller and the most inveterate rage therefore as a limbe of the Devill or rather as a Devill incarnate himselfe hee resolves to begin with Monfredo first and as occasions and accidents shall present then with his sister Cecilliana after without ever having the grace to thinke of his Conscience or Soule or of
and entertainment to betray and bereave them of their onely childe and daughter whom they well hoped would have proved the Ioy of their life and the staffe and comfort of their Age. Quatbrisson in the vanity of his voluptuous thoughts having thus by himselfe and the Fryer played his prize in stealing away faire Marieta hee by night brings her to his owne old Nurse her house which is a little mile distant from that of his Father where he secretly keepes her takes his pleasure of her and as often as hee pleaseth lyes with her whole nights together but Marieta's sorrowfull Father and Mother seeing themselves thus robbed of their only Iewell their daughter they bitterly lament her losse and their owne misfortunes therein They complaine to all their Neighbours thereof and leave few adjacent Parishes or houses â—…ought for her yea her Mother Iane Chaumets griefe and jealousie transport her so farre as vehemently suspecting that Monsieur de Quatbrisson had stolne her away â—…rips over to his Fathers house and there with sorrow in her lookes and teares in her eyes acquaints both him and the Lady his Wife thereof who presently send for their Son Quatbrisson before them They shew him what an infinite scandall this foule fact and crime of his will breed him and likewise reflect upon themselves and all their Kinsfolkes and Family How the Iustice of God infallibly attends on whordome and fornication and that he hath no other true course or meanes left him to expiate and deface it but Confession Contrition and Repentance and by returning the poore Countrey girle againe to her aged and sorrowfull parents But Quatbrisson their Sonne as a base deboshed Gentleman denyes all termes old Malliots wife an old hagge and devill to charge him thus falsly with the stealing away of her Daughter and so without any other redresse or comfort this poore Mother returnes againe home to her sorrowfull husband and Quatbrisson secretly to his Nurses to frollicke and sport it out with his sweet and faire Countrey Mistris Marieta But to observe the better Order and Decorum in the dilation and unfolding of this History leave we for a small time this lascivious young couple wallowing in the beastly pleasures of their sensuality and fornication and come we a little to speake how suddenly and sharply at unawares the vengeance and justice of God surpriseth our execrable Apothecary Moncallier who so wretchedly and lamentably as we have formerly understood had sent innocent Valfontaine from earth to heaven by that damnable drug and ingredient of Poyson The manner whereof briefely is thus Quatbrisson as wee have already seene having exchanged his former affectioâ—… into future malice and envie towards his Sister in law La Pratiere doth still reâ—…aine such bloudy thoughts against her as striking hands with the Devill hee 〈◊〉 favour of three hundred Crownes more hath againe ingaged his Hellish Apothecary Moncallier likewise to poyson her at his first administring of Physicke to her which intended deplorable Tragedy of theirs is no sooner projected and plotted of the one then promised speedily to be acted and performed by the other to the end quoth these two miserable wretches to make her equall as in marriage so in death with her first husband Valfontaine Thus Quatbrisson longing and Moncallier hearkening out for La Pratieres first sickenesse two moneths are scarce blowne over since her marriage with Pont Chausey but shee is surprised with a pestilent Fever when hee as a loving and kinde husband at the request of his sicke Wife riâ—…es over to Vannes for this monster of his profession and time Moncallier to come with him and give her Physicke the which presently with as much treacherous care as feigned sorrow hee promiseth to effect and so inwardly resolves with the Devill and himselfe to poyson her but we shall see here that Gods providence will favorably permit the first and his goodnesse and mercie miraculously prevent the second Moncallier sees this his faire and sweet Patient La â—…ratiere but he is yet so farre from shame or repentance that he had poysoned her first husband as with a gracelesse ratiocination he confirmes his former impious resolution likewise to dispatch her selfe but for that time hee contenteth himselfe onely to draw sixe ounces of bloud from her and promiseth to returne to her the next morning with Physicke and therein to insinuate and infuse the Poyson But here in the feare and to the glory of God let mee request the Christian Reader to admire and wonder with mee at the strangenesse of this suddaine and divine punishment of God then and there showne on this wretched Apothecary Moncallier For as he was ready to depart and being on the top of the Stayres next to the Chamber doore where La Pratiere lay sicke complementing with her husband Pont Chausey at his farewell hee trips in his Spurres and so falls downe headlong at the foot thereof there breakes his necke and which is lamentable and fearfull he hath neither the poâ—…er or grace left him to speake a word much lesse to repent his cruell poysoning of Valfontaine or to pray unto God to forgive it him And thus was the miserable end of this wretched Apothecary Moncallier who when hee absolutely thought that that bloudy fact of his was quite defaced and forgotten of God then God as we see in his due time remembred to punish him for the same to his utter confusion and destruction that as his Crime was bloudy so his punishment should bee sudden and sharpe Returne we now againe to Quatbrisson who amidst his carnall pleasures with his young and faire Marieâ—…a is advertised of Moncalliers sudden and unnaturall death at S. Aignaw wherat resembling himselfe he is so far from any apprehension or griefe as he exceedingly triumpheth and rejoyceth thereat yea he is as glad that he hath thus broke his necke because hee can now tell no tales as sorrowfull if now before his death he have not poysoned La Pratiere as formerly he did her first husband Valfontaine his brother Whiles thus Quatbrissons joy in injoying Marieta proves the griefe and disconsolation of her Parents for it is now generally bruted in Vannes that Quatbrisson hath stolne away Malliots daughter Marieta whereof her Father and Mother being sorrowfully acquainted hee being weake and sickly shee againe repaires to Monsieur de Caerstaing and his Lady and with teares in her eyes throwing her selfe at their feet acquaints them with this publicke report humbly beseeching them to bee a meanes to the Gentleman their sonne that hee restore them their daughter but they are in a manner deafe to her requests and so only returne her this generall answer that they will again examine their son and cause all their tenants houses neer about to be narrowly searched for her and this iâ—… all the redresse and consolation which this sorowfull mother could get from them Whereof Quatbrisson being advertised he with much secrecie and haste about midnight causeth Pierot his Fathers
shame and his content his affliction and â—…serie But as mild and sweet perswasion is ever more capable and powerfull to prevaile with women than constraint so our faiâ—…e Bellinda is so distasted with the lunacy and with the phrensie and madnes of this her husbands jealousie that shee no sooner sees her Palura arive in her sight and presence but despite â—…f â—…s suspition and feare shee is â—…o 〈◊〉 in her lust and so lascivious in 〈◊〉 affâ—…ction towards him that she tâ—…es pleasure to seeke pleasure and extremely delighteth to seeke and â—…d delight with him which according to her former lewâ—… 〈◊〉 and ungodly contract shee often doth Now this foolish young couple being the obliged schoâ—…ers of â—…pid and the devoted votaries of Venus thinke to bee as wise as they are lascivious in these their amorous pleasures for knowing that discretion makes lovers happie and that secrecie is the true touch-â—…e yea the verie life and souâ—…e of love they therefore esteeme and keepe the secrets thereof as if they were sacred and thinke that no mortall eyes but their owne can 〈◊〉 know it but yet notwithstanding all this De Mora's jealous feares in the detection are still as great as their care in the prevention thereof for the very next night after Palura departure from his house hee purposely absenteth anâ—…eth his wife from his bed and the next morning calling her into the gardeâ—… after him and causing the doore to bee â—…ut he then and there with lighâ—…g iâ—… his lookes and tâ—…nder in his speeches chargeth her of adulterie with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this young strumpet his wife Bellinda at the verie first hearing of this 〈◊〉 and unexpected newes dissembles so artificially with her husband and so proâ—… with God as seeming to dissolve and melt into teares shee purgeth her selfe hereof with many strong vowes cleereth Palura with many deepe asseverations 〈◊〉 this fanaticke Tyrant and franticke monster jealousie which for the most part wee can seldome or never kill before it kill us had wrought such strange impressions in the braines ingraven such extravagant chimoera's in the heart and â—…eleefe of old De Mora that notwithstanding his wives oathes and teares to the contrary hee yet still vowes to himselfe and her that shee is guiltie of adulterie with Palura and therefore chargeth her that henceforth shee dare not see him or receive him into her house or companie Bellinda hereat to give her â—…and some content in her owne discontent makes a great shew of sorrow and an extreme apparition and exteriour apparance of griefe she sends for her father Cursoro acquaints him with the unjust wrong and indignitie which her Lord 〈◊〉 husband hath offered her and praies him to interpose his authoritie and judgement with him for their reconciliation who seeing himselfe solicited and sought to by his owne blood by his daughters hypocrisie beleeves her to be as innocent as her husband De Mora thinkes her guilty of this foule crime of adultery with Palura and so undertakes to solicit and deale with his sonne in law De Mora to that effect which hee doth but with no desired successe so that finding it to bee a knottie and difficult busines and upon the whole no lesse than a Herculean labour because of De Mora's wilfull obstinacie and perverse cre dulity hee therefore praies for both of them and thus leaves them and their difference to time and to God and upon these unfortunate tearmes doth old De Mora his young wife Bellinda and their marriage now stand In the meane time Bellinda who suffers doubly both in her pleasure and her reputation is not yet so devoid of sense or exempt of judgement but shee will speedily provide for the one and secure the other To which effect seeming sorrowfully obedient to her husband she thinkes it not fit that her Palura should for a season approach her house or her selfe wherefore by a confident messenger shee sends him this letter BELLINDA to PALVRA MY husband hath discovered our affections and is confident that I love thee far better than himselfe wherein as hee is nothing deceived so I conjure thee by the preservation of thy fidelitie and my honour to forbeare my house and sight for some two moneths in which interim I will use my chiefest art and the utmost of my possible power to calme the stormes and tempests that jealousie hath raised in him So bee thou but as patient as I will bee constant and I hope a little time shall end our languishing and againe worke our contents and desires for though thou art absent from mee yet I am still present with thee and albeit my husband De Mora have my body yet Palura and none but Palura hath my heart as knoweth God to whose best favour and mercy I affectionately and zealously recommend thee BELLINDA Palura receives this letter and although hee fetch many deepe figâ—…es at the reading thereof yet hee gives it many sweet kisses for her sweet sake who writ and sent it him hee knowes not whether hee hath more reason to condemne De Mora's jealousie or to commend his Lady Bellinda's affection and constancie to himselfe and because hee resolves to preferre her content and honour equally with his owne life therefore heâ—… will dispence with his lustfull and lascivious pleasures for a time purposely to give her beauty and merrits their due forever so in requit all of her affectionate letter he by her owne messenger returnes her this kind and courteous answer PALVRA to BELLINDA I Am as sorrowfull that thy husband De Mora hath discovered our affections as truly joyfull that thou lovest mee far better than himselfe wherefore to prevent his jealousie equally to preserve my fidelity with thy honour and thy honour with my life know sweet and deare Bellinda that thy requests are my commands and thy will shall eternally be my law in which regard I will refraine thy house all thy long prefixed time and so forbeare to see thee but never to love thee because thy sweet devine beauty is so deeply ingraven in my thoughts imprinted in my soule thâ—…t the farther I transport my body from thee the neerer my affection brings my heart to thee I will adde my chiefest wishes to thy best art and my best prayers to thy chiefest power that a little time may worke our content and desires but because there is no torment nor death to languishing nor no languishing to that of love therefore I shall thinke every moment a moneth and every houre a yeare before wee againe kisse and imbrace conceale this letter of mine from all the world with as much care and secresie as I send it thee with fervent zeale and tender affection PALVRA The perusall of this letter and the affection of Palura demonstrated in this his resolution makes Bellinda as glad as the jealousie of her Lord and husband De Mora sorrowfull and now seeing his rage so reasonlesse and his malice and obstinacie so